Undercover in Miami
by Jojo45
Summary: Bella's best friend died of a drug overdose in college. Bella vows to get even so she joins the FBI to stop illegal drug smuggling...but little does she know she falls in love with the one she's trying to put away.
1. Chapter 1

Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just own this story, not the characters.

All Human. Pairings do not start out how they will end. Bella x Edward eventually.

Rated M for language, illegal activity, sex and violence.

**Chapter 1: Interview in Miami**

**BPOV**

"Marie Dwyer, Mr. Cullen will see you now," stated the leggy blonde secretary behind the mahogany desk.

"Thank you," I replied, walking down the long wide hallway while straightening my black pencil skirt.

As I was walking, I noticed all the exotic car photos that adorned the walls. There was an Audi R8 Spyder, Mercedes Benz SLS AMG, Maserati Gran Turismo convertible, all the top ten exotic sports cars of the year; it was incredible. This could be an awesome job if I took it seriously enough – which I don't. I have one goal here and one goal only: retribution, plain and simple. But Mr. Cullen didn't know that and, if I'm good at my job, he never will.

Interviewing at C&M Enterprises was my idea from the beginning. Word on the street was that C&M Enterprises was a front for one of the largest drug smuggling rings in the southern United States. Now, this wasn't common knowledge to the average Joe; but then again, I wasn't your average Joe.

**Flashback 8 years ago:**

_Giggling, Lauren looked over at me with a shocked expression on her face. _

"_Whaaaattt?," I asked, slurring even that one word. _

"_Where did you get that ridiculous shirt you're wearing?" she asked. _

_I looked down at my fuck-awesome shirt with a huge sense of pride. It was a retro Beastie Boys shirt from their first concert in Seattle. We were feeling pretty good after downing a few shots of our favorite beverage, Mr. Patron. _

"_If I didn't know any better, Isabella Marie Swan, I'd classify you as a rock groupie who only hangs out with bands for one thing!"_

"_Surely, you're not knocking on my cool sense of fashion, Lauren. Besides, what the hell is THAT you're wearing on your feet tonight? It looks like something out of Roller Derby - not to mention something Renee would probably have worn about twenty years ago!" _

_She was wearing the most ridiculous pair of black Converse sneakers I've ever seen. Laced up to the knees too – who wears that shit? Renee SO would have worn something like that when she was in college. _

_Yeah, I loved my mother but at least I didn't inherit her bad fashion sense, thank goodness! I don't see her as much, now that she's married to the newest love of her life – Phil Dwyer, baseball aficionado. She's off traveling the world while Phil tries excruciatingly hard to stay in the minor leagues. Yeah, he's quite the catch all right. _

_Lauren and I were a little plastered to say the least. We had just finished our last final for the semester and were looking forward to a night on the town. That is, of course, after we had busted each other's chops for what we were wearing. _

_It was such a relief to be going out and having a good time for once. Lauren and I have been doing nothing else but studying our asses off for the past two weeks and we deserved a much needed break. _

"_OK, let's get down to business. Where should we go first? Is it going to be Indigo, Ember or Club 23? I personally think we should hit Ember first because there was the hottest bouncer there the other night," said Lauren. _

"_Wait a minute," I said, while zipping up my boots. "You were at Ember the other night? What the hell…" _

_Lauren hesitated at first and then sighed. "Yeah, I was studying late at the library Wednesday night and Brad called to say that new band he wanted to see was there and asked if I wanted to go with him. I was a little tired from studying but thought 'what the heck' and tagged along. They were great and besides, I scored a couple hits of uppers."_

"_Dude, you seriously aren't in that scene again, are you? I thought that was just a phase you were going through with your ex. Please don't tell me you're getting hooked again," I said while putting on my darkest shade of pink lipstick._

"_No, it's nothing like that. I just needed a 'pick- me- up' to get me through the night. I had two more finals this week and thought they'd come in handy," said Lauren._

_I stared at her for a moment, hoping she was being straight with me. I don't even want to think of the last time we had a conversation like this and she lied to my face. She did seem better this time, I'll have to give her that. I certainly don't feel like holding her head over a toilet all night again. What a drag that was! Man, she was so out of it she was hallucinating, trying to catch butterflies and shit in our dorm room in the middle of winter. It was a little funny at the time. But I also knew that Brad was bad news. He had been busted twice already — one DUI and one for possession. He was like a moth to a flame with Lauren and she ate that shit up. She liked the attention from him and truth be known, would do just about anything for him and TO him for that matter! Now, here he was again and it scared me._

"_Please tell me you will flush that stuff down the toilet," I said, my tone getting a little harsher. "You know I love you like a sister but I am not about to go to jail for your sorry ass either. Besides, we have our whole lives ahead of us, and if I do say so for ourselves, it'll be a damn good life. We are two fine female specimens and for all of our hard work, we are going to celebrate tonight – alcohol only!" _

"_Sure, Bella, I promise to be good tonight. Who knows, if we're lucky we might catch us a couple of hotties and find a better 'high' than any drug could give us anyway!" shouted Lauren._

_Lauren and I left the dorm room and caught a cab downtown to Ember. It was crowded tonight as most college kids were done with finals and were out looking to have a relaxing, stress-free, fun night. The club was hopping and dance music blared out of the speakers from all corners of the room. I noticed some of my fellow marketing friends at the bar so I motioned Lauren over so I could introduce them to her. _

_After downing a couple of Cosmopolitans, I heard Prince's song, Purple Rain. Everyone looked at each other and said simultaneously, "I LOVE THIS SONG!" We all grabbed hands and started toward the dance floor. Well, all of us, that is, except Lauren. _

_I noticed Lauren was not with us after a couple of songs. I told my friend Mike I'd be right back and went to look for her. I headed straight for the bathroom – no luck there except for some heavy petting going on with a couple of brunettes who looked like they were going to swallow each other whole. "Get a room please, ladies!" I shouted after looking under each stall for those God-awful knee high converse shoes. No luck here. I went around the bar and in the corner booths to see if she had found herself her very own "hottie" yet. OK, so a little panic started setting in and I went back to my friends on the dance floor._

_I grabbed Mike since he looked like he was the closest friend I had who could beat the living daylights out of someone if I needed him to. "Where do you think she would've went, Bella? You know, she could've just found a hot random guy and went home with him. You guys were a little tipsy and she is pretty hot." _

"_She wouldn't have just left me here without telling me where she's going, Mike. Even if it is for a one night stand…" I said. "Let's just go take a quick look outside and then if I don't find her, I'm going to go home and see if she's there." _

_Mike and I went outside of the club and saw nothing but a bunch of people hanging out on the street by their cars smoking, laughing and having a good time. No Lauren out here. There was an alley to the side of the club, so I decided to take one last look before hailing a cab. As Mike and I were walking toward the alley, we heard footsteps and voices, and when we rounded the corner, they were running like the wind. We heard some moaning and then someone rolling around on the ground. _

"_Mike, come here quick!" I shouted as I ran as fast as I could to the now limp body. _

_As I found Lauren lying face down in the alley, fear shot through my body with the feeling of a sharp knife penetrating my heart. When I saw those god-awful, lace up Converse shoes, I knew it was Lauren. I also realized at that moment, as I choked back tears that I knew I had been lied to by a friend who had been overcome by the monster of addiction. As I turned Lauren over, blood coursed from her nose and her once beautiful face. I moved her blood soaked hair back from her shattered visage and looked at what remained of the gorgeous and vibrant friend that I loved so much. _

_As I held her in my arms, it felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. "Oh my God, Lauren. Oh my God. What have those bastards done to you?" I sobbed. The tears just exploded out of my eyes like a raging river of grief, hopelessness and anger all mixed together._

_Lauren looked up at me as her tears mixed with the blood pouring from deep cuts on her eyebrows and cheeks. She could only muster a whisper and I moved closer to her while holding her tight in my arms. _

"_Bella, I'm so sorry. I lied to you and I'm so sorry. I just couldn't beat it. Oh God, I'm sorry for everything. I just couldn't sto—", she let out a large breath as her eyes rolled back in her head and all the air left her body for the last time. _

"_NOOOOOOO!" I screamed with a wrenching pain that came from the depths of my soul. It was too late. __Too late to help my best friend and too late for my sorry self to have noticed something was wrong with her sooner._

"_Bella, stay here, I'm calling for help," Mike said, running around the corner to get reception on his cell phone. _

_As I held Lauren's lifeless body in my arms, I made up my mind right then and there that, so help me God, those mother fuckers that did this to her were going to pay…_

**Present day: **

"Marie, why don't you sit down here, please," said Mr. Cullen. He couldn't have been much older than me. "Now, please tell me a little bit about yourself. Why are you looking for a job so far away from your home state? And please, call me Emmett… Mr. Cullen is my father!" he laughed.

I couldn't quit staring at him. Mr. Cullen—Emmett—was a big burly guy with broad shoulders and dark hair that curled on the ends. His laugh bellowed throughout the room and he easily put me at ease.

"Well, _Emmett_, I am looking for a change of pace. I've lived my whole life in Seattle and I'll be honest with you… I need a change of scenery and just get away from there for awhile," I stated.

"Oh, I get it. You're getting away from a man!" Emmett shouted. _Wow, he's pretty perceptive, I thought._

"Uh, I'd rather not discuss my personal life, if you don't mind," I said, getting a little uncomfortable.

"Oh sure, I didn't mean to pry. I have that problem sometimes. So, please feel free to continue."

"Okay, well as you can see from my resume', I graduated with honors from the University of Washington with a degree in Advertising and Business and then received my MBA. I got a job after college working at a small firm in Seattle where we supported big clients such as Nike, Coca-Cola and NASCAR. I believe the latter client is what led me here actually. By working closely with the racing industry, I heard about your company through the employees that worked there. You are highly regarded and I heard nothing but great things about you," I paused, thinking of my next words carefully. "I'm thrilled to have this opportunity interviewing with you and I hope I'm what you're looking for. I have been the lead on many accounts and have quite a bit of experience, as you probably know from my references. So, here I am and the rest is history." _Wow, I hope I pulled that off. Bella, you make a terrific liar. _

"Well, Marie, tell me what you know about our business. I am hoping you've done some of your homework and know a little bit about the car industry. We just lost our previous Sales Director because her husband got another job in a different state. She was wonderful and we hated losing her and she's going to be hard to replace. I'm going to need someone who will give 110% to this job and probably work late, travel a lot and put in lots of hours. Is that something you think you can handle?" Emmett said looking at me from head to toe. _Well, I do believe he is checking me out, not caring if I noticed or not. Hmm… _

"To answer your first question, I know that your sports car company was on Forbes list of Top 100 'Best Places to Work.' Your company received the Miami Award for Fastest Growing Company. The 2010 World Travel Awards said you were the best Automobile Company in the south and last but not least, C&M Enterprises received the Diamond Club award from AAA for the past 5 years." I took a breath because I didn't want to come on too strong. I didn't want to look over determined, but I did want the job as well. Now was the time for me to mark my territory.

"So, absolutely Mr. Cullen, I am perfectly willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done." _You bet your sweet ass I am. Taking you down will thrill me to no end and get my sweet revenge for Lauren all at the same time._ "I am new to Miami so I know absolutely no one else here. It'll be good for me to absorb everything I can about your company and there's not a better way to do that than dive in headfirst and give it all I've got!" I exclaimed.

"Please call me Emmett again, Marie. I have to admit, I appreciate your candidness. Also, your research is very thorough. I'm thoroughly impressed with your knowledge of our company. With all of that being said, welcome to C&M Enterprises! I have reviewed your resume thoroughly with my executive staff and you come highly recommended in the sales world. Can you start on Monday?" asked Emmett.

I nodded holding out my hand to shake his, feeling quite proud of myself for my first accomplishment while in Miami. "I can have my assistant show you around the building and introduce you to the sales staff, _your_ new sales staff that is. Your office will be down the hall from mine and we have executive staff meetings on Wednesdays at 11 am. Your assistant's name is Alice and she'll be glad to order any office supplies and anything else you might need. Have you found a place to stay yet? I know you're currently staying at the Hilton right now. Alice can also show you a list of apartments or condos to look at as well."

This is it, Bella… just the opportunity you've been waiting for. _Say something._ "That would be awesome… Emmett. I can't wait to get started and I'm really looking forward to a great career with C&M. Uh, just out of curiosity, I know that C&M stands for Cullen and Masen. You're obviously the _Cullen_, so when do I get to meet _the Masen_?" I asked, solely for the purpose of bringing down his sorry ass too.

"Well, that's going to be a hard one, Ms. Dwyer, because Mr. Masen is a very private person and likes to stay out of the limelight. He's perfectly content in letting me run the day to day business," Emmett stated while walking around his desk, arranging his sticky notes in orderly fashion.

"Wow, that's interesting. You have a multi-million dollar company and the half owner doesn't even come in to the office to check up on things. He must have quite a bit of trust in you," I remarked after standing up, smoothing my skirt down and venturing over to the doorway.

"Oh, Mr. Masen and I have been good friends for most of our lives. Our families lived next to each other in Palm Springs and we practically grew up together. So, yes, he does trust me. But don't get me wrong, he definitely has a say in the company and cares a great deal. He just likes to do it behind closed doors." _Ain't that the truth... thought Emmett._

Huh. It's going to be a little harder than I thought to see this mystery man. I had heard that Mr. Masen was like that, a very private and reserved individual, but I sure didn't think he would never come into the office. So, I have my work cut out for me but that's never stopped me before. I will find this Mr. Masen so I can bring him down with the rest of them. Mark my words!

-**Reviews are welcome. Be kind, it's my first story ever! Thanks...**


	2. Chapter 2

Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just own this story, not the characters.

All Human. Pairings do not start out how they will end. Bella x Edward eventually.

Rated M for language, illegal activity, sex and violence.

**Many thanks to Kaitlyn Belle for being my beta! You rock

**Chapter 2 – Edward's Lair**

**EPOV **

"But I want to go with you tonight, Edward, pleeeassee?" purred Tanya, her leg hiking up mine and stroking it, coercing me into doing something she wants, as usual.

She knew I had business to attend to tonight and that business didn't include her. Yeah, tonight I needed to be on my own because I had some very important things to take care of… and by "things," I mean some stupid idiots who kept fucking things up for me. How hard can it be to make a drop in the middle of nowhere and to make sure that the drop got picked up? These guys needed to learn a lesson since my main guy, Jasper is off doing God-knows-what-with-who, which leaves me to take care of them. I've called his sorry ass like five times and left him messages all over the damn city. I don't understand why he's ignoring me; he knows what kind of shit is going to go down tonight.

"For the last time Tanya, the answer is no. I've got important business to take care of and I can't have you around messing things up. Things might be getting ugly," I said to her, taking note of her enraged face. "Go find your girlfriends and get a manicure or something."

I walked over to my laptop to get directions to the warehouse I told the idiots to meet me at tonight. Tanya was pacing back and forth, her heels clicking on my hardwood floors.

While directions were printing off on my printer, I ventured over to my safe, which was located behind my original Monet painting I picked up a few years ago. It fit nicely into the décor of the beach house. Turning the combination lock, I glanced over my shoulder at a very pissed off woman. I opened the safe and chose my favorite 9mm, checking to see if I had enough ammunition for tonight. I needed to be prepared to show these guys that I'm not screwing around and am tired of them slacking off and not taking care of things properly.

"Edward, you're always doing business lately and frankly, I'm sick of it. It's like I don't even matter to you anymore. We really need a night out on the town," she said, walking over towards my desk and sitting on the corner of it.

Her dress raised high above her knees and inched closer up her thighs. Tanya was beautiful, with her long blonde wavy hair and sexy curvaceous body. I've always told her from the beginning that I date whom I want, when I want and she has completely no say in the matter. It's her choice to stick around. I, Edward Masen, will do whatever I damn well please and with whomever I damn well please. No woman will ever change me and frankly, I just don't have it in my chemical makeup to commit to anyone.

"Look Tanya, there's the door if you don't like it. I'm not asking you to stay – you and I both know why we hang out together. The sex is pretty damn good so let's not ruin a good thing, OK? You know my business is my livelihood and it's a dangerous life which I enjoy. I don't have any secrets from you – mainly because your uncle is my prime supplier here in Miami. So, hop along and find yourself someone else to stick it to you tonight. I'm too busy." _Geez, get the hint._

"You don't have to be so crass about it. I get it, OK? I just wanted some alone time with you because I'm horny as hell. We haven't been together in, like, 2 weeks and I'm just really craving you right now," she purred as she slid that damn dress up even higher, while her fingers made a trail down the front of my chest towards my belt buckle.

Oh, she's good all right. She knew how to get what she wanted as she lowered her eyelids and bent down to show me her cleavage. I have to admit I was getting a little aroused. Tanya can be really seductive and when she turns it on, my traitor body reacts to her every time – even when I have other stuff to concentrate on right now. Of course, my body isn't that deprived though; hell I couldn't wait 2 weeks for sex if my life depended on it. My neighbor Victoria was willing to give it to me whenever I wanted it, no strings attached. And lately, I've wanted it a lot. One knock on her door and little Eddie was satisfied for the night. Victoria was a great lay; her fiery red hair, long luscious body and legs that stretched on for miles, wrapped around my waist, heels digging in my back… damn, I was getting hard just thinking about it. Her house was two down from mine on South Beach and very accessible when I needed it. My patio deck wrapped around the whole back of my house and with my binoculars, I could see her back deck as well. As a matter of fact, it was just the other night she gave me a very nice peep show. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back on the chair and breathed out a sigh of frustration.

Oh what the hell, I thought. I scooted the laptop over to protect it and with everything else on my desk, I took a swipe of my arm across it and everything went flying to the floor. I grabbed Tanya and bent her hard over the desk, and she was screaming in delight as she spread her legs far apart for me.

"You asked for it, baby, and I don't plan on being anything but rough with you," I growled in her ear as I grabbed the bottom of her dress and started ripping it upwards and yanking down her G-string all in one smooth motion. After all, I was the fucking "man" and I knew it. The tearing of fabric was the only sound, along with the panting of our breaths, as I began to unbuckle my belt and unleash Eddie Munster out on her pretty self. Tanya laid her forearms on my desk and looked back at me with those lustful eyes. She was fit and firm with an all over tan that drove me nuts. My dick could have cut granite by this point. She spread her legs wide and put her ass up in the air so I could take in the view of that sweet, bare coochie from behind. I just wanted to rock the shit out of her and then pull out and come all over that nice, teardrop shaped ass. I knew better though.

"God, Edward… yes that's more like it. Here comes the Edward that I know and love. Give it to me hard, baby. Don't hold back!" Tanya was pretty loud when we had sex so I looked around to make sure all my windows were closed. No need for all the neighbors to hear us, even though it might give them all some excitement to their boring lives.

I grabbed a hold of myself and as I was taking my dick out of its tight confines of my boxers, I reached in my back pocket and took out a condom. No way in hell was I sticking my dick in somewhere I knew most of Miami had visited at one time or another. I never went without a condom with Tanya and I wasn't going to start now.

Just as I had gotten the package wrapped and was ready to find that hot little box, the fucking phone rang. I turned into John McEnroe for a moment as I thought, "You cannot be serious!"

Good old Jasper always seemed to have impeccable timing – cockblocker.

"Don't you dare answer that, Edward. So help me God, you'll never get it again if you touch that phone!" she shouted in heavy breaths.

I didn't have to look at the phone to see who it was – I knew the ringtone. The Mission Impossible theme was pretty distinguishable and it let me know that Jasper was finally returning my calls. About fucking time he called me back. Hmmm… I thought for about three seconds on what to choose and bent over to pick up my phone as I put myself back into my unzipped pants.

"Where've you been, Jazz? Dude, I've been leaving messages all over Miami looking for you. You know we've got important business tonight – what the fuck?" I shouted in the phone, irritated in more ways than one now that I didn't get my release either.

Speaking of which, Tanya turned around and if looks could kill, I'd be a dead man. Oh well, wouldn't be the first time…

_**Flashback 10 years ago…**_

_Jessica looked at me as if I had two heads. I was trying to explain to her that I couldn't take her to the homecoming dance now and that was no easy task. The look of fury crossed her face and I could feel the heat getting ready to come my way. _

"_What do you mean you're not taking me to the dance, Edward? We've only been talking about this for 7 months now. What seems to be the problem?" snorted Jessica as she started pacing back and forth in her bedroom. _

_There was no way in hell I could tell her the real truth so I had to make something up real quick, as usual. This was my reality; making shit up to satisfy the people around me. _

"_Well, Jessica as you know I've got a part time job at the camping store that Mike Newton's parents own. One of their employees got sick and called to ask me if I could work the shift. If I could, I would get out of it, but you know I need the money right now. Mom's diabetes is getting worse and I have to help pay the hospital bill." _

_This wasn't too far off the truth; Mom was back in the hospital but definitely not for her diabetes. Hell, I only wish she had diabetes. Once again, my mom, Esme, got strung out and I found her in the middle of our hallway in our small apartment. Of all fucking nights, it was homecoming night and the only thing I was looking forward to all week. _

_Oh well, that's the life of Edward Masen, sole guardian of his own good-for-nothing mother. It wasn't always like this; we used to be a normal family until my dad died in a freak accident at the boating dock. After that, Mom was never the same and she started acting funny about a year ago. This man, "Aro," kept showing up at our house and she introduced him as her new "friend." Like I didn't know what that meant. Hell, I was 16, not 6. They started hanging out; I guess you could call it. Then after a few "dates," she started coming home later and later. One night I found her with her head hanging over the toilet; another night she was passed out at the kitchen table next to her plate of food. I tried to get her help but there was only so much a 16 year old could do. She was drinking and taking so many drugs that she didn't know which planet she was on anymore. I knew Aro was the one supplying her with them and that arrogant son of a bitch didn't care that she had a kid at home to raise. He was getting his jollies off a hot widow who was going through her dead husband's life insurance faster than you could say, "Thank you, sir, may I have another?" Yeah, he was getting all my family's money and I was trying as hard as I could to keep our head above water, paying all our bills, working part time, and going to school that she was slipping further and further away from me. _

"_So, what am I supposed to do with this dress now, Edward? All of our friends are going to meet at The Greens for dinner and then go on to the dance in the limo we rented together, remember?" Jessica's face was beet red at this point and her eyes were shooting daggers at me._

_Oh yeah, I remembered all right. I have worked double shifts the past two weekends just to afford my share of the limo, but do you think I'd get to enjoy it? No, responsibility sets in for Edward and all the fun goes out the door. _

_I can't wait to grow up and enjoy myself. I'm so going to just let loose and not have a care in the world anymore. No more worrying about bills, working doubles, caring for a mother who doesn't care about herself… no one certainly cares about me anymore. _

"_You know what, Jessica? Apparently, you don't understand anything about responsibility and only think of yourself. I'm done. Sorry about tonight but things happen," I said, not caring anymore about anything. _

_If no one else cares about what I'm going through, then so be it. I decided right then and there that from here on out of my sorry, disgusted life, I'm the one who is going to make things happen. I was tired of wondering where the next dime was coming from, scrounging around and busting my butt. I wanted a piece of the action since most of my inheritance was going up in smoke anyway. I just needed to seize the day and take it. And take it, I did..._

**Back to present day:**

"Relax, ole Eddie boy, I'll be there tonight. I can't be fielding phone calls from you when I'm checking on the shipment of arsenals coming in from Cuba next week. I had to make sure everything is taken care of with our points of contact at the border patrol. You never know when those asshats are going to take advantage of our generous hospitality so I needed to let them know who's still in control here in this operation." ranted Jasper.

Jasper has been my other rock solid partner in this business even though he wasn't part of C&M Enterprises. He worked on the side as a "consultant," if you will and he liked it that way. That way he didn't feel tied down in any way. I can't say that I blame him but I like the company front that Emmett and I have created. As far as I know, we have been pretty secure in our business dealings with the BBB and the public thinks we're a totally legitimate business.

"Great, Jazz," I sighed heavily as I adjusted myself around in my boxers. "I was beginning to think you had gone to the other side or something," I chuckled, looking over at a very pissed off Tanya. "I'm going to need you over here by 9:00 tonight. I've got the limo ready to take us over to the warehouses by the dock. I want this to go as smoothly as possible but as you know, things can get out of hand so we've got to be ready for that." I've done this many times over; meeting with our dockworkers that just weren't cutting it. However, one just never knows what kind of a turn this could take.

"Eddie, I've got it covered. Leave it to me to take care of things. That's why you pay me the big bucks. By the way, what's with all the heavy breathing? Did I catch you at a bad time?" Leave it to Jasper to always sense every emotion even over the phone.

"It's just Tanya; we were, uh, you know getting in to something but it's no biggie. It's not something we can't continue later," I said, trying to see where she was at the moment.

"Well don't let me keep you any longer then. I'll be there at 9, and don't do anything I wouldn't do," Jazz said laughing as he hung up_. _

_Real funny asshole. _My thoughts turned to the mess on the floor and I made a mental note to call Bree, my housekeeper later. Just then my phone rang again, this time with Phil Collins' "Into the Air Tonight" ringtone. _Emmett. _

"What up, Em?" I asked as I kicked around the crap on the floor.

"Hey Edward, what's going on, dude?" Emmett shouted in the phone. Oh Emmett, always the loud one… and obnoxious… and loud.

"I'm just getting ready for the nice meet 'n greet tonight with the dock boys. Jazz and I are all set to get down to business if we need to. I've got the Ruger ready and the Beretta as a backup if need be." Glancing around my office, there was no sight of Tanya. She hated coming in second fiddle to anyone, let alone my business dealings.

"Things should go smooth though, if they listen to us this time without getting all cocky. I'm tired of them thinking they know what's best for this business. We've put way too much time and effort into building this baby up for it all to come down to stupidity of our grunts," I exclaimed just wanting to get tonight over with already. We had some important shipments coming in and we just couldn't let them get in the wrong hands.

"Sounds good, dude. I trust you and Jazz will take care of everything. Hey, make sure they know the shipments from Jamaica are coming in Tuesday night with the liquor I need for my big party next Saturday. I'm looking forward to some of that nice rum and other fine Jamaican liquor." Emmett loved his liquor as well as his big parties he liked to throw. "Sooo, I just wanted to let you know that I finally found someone to fill the Sales Director position. Remember I mentioned a girl named Marie Dwyer to you the other day? The one from Seattle? Yeah, well she just came in and interviewed and let me tell you, she is FINE. Like, REALLY FINE. Nice tight ass, gorgeous wavy long brown hair, Bambi eyes, and nice perky tits. Whew, it was everything I could do just not to jizz in my pants," breathed Emmett, finally stopping long enough to take a breath. "Too bad you don't like to do day to day business here. Wait a minute; I take that back… good thing you weren't here because you would've already been tapping that in the men's room."

"Real funny, asshole. I do have some standards, you know. I would have at least taken her to a conference room where there are no toilets," I chuckled, pretty amused with myself. "So, mighty fine, huh? Hmmm… I'll definitely have to take a looksie. You know I hate going in to the office so it'll have to be out in public somewhere. Hey, when's the corporate retreat again? I know we're doing it in Vegas this year but I forget the date."

I love me some fine piece of ass. This could be good; a hot young thing heading up our sales department is just what C&M Enterprises needs. Attractive women in executive positions mean attracting more clients. Attracting more clients means more business for my company and more business means more money in my pocket. Yeah, I like Marie Dwyer more and more and I haven't seen her fine ass yet.

"Let me see here," Emmett said as I began walking around my beach house looking for Ms. Bitch herself. She's really going to let me have it for cock blocking her. She'll probably go run and tell her uncle how mean I'm being to her and he'll send his goons out to warn me or something. It's not always good to be banging your supplier's niece. "It looks like it's scheduled for April…April 20th, to be exact. I know Alice put it on your calendar so you're cleared of all your other duties for that week," Emmett blew out a gust of air. "Man, you are going to blow a wad when you see her. If I couldn't get my mind off of Rosie, I just might hit that first. She's smart too. I checked out all her references and they all loved her. They hated to see her go, actually. They all probably had hard-ons for her too!" laughed Emmett.

"Sounds good, Em. I'll definitely check her out at some point. It sounds like a challenge and you know how I like that!" I chuckled to myself. It's nice to know Emmett noticed another pretty woman except Rosie for a change. He had it bad for her.

Now if I can just find out where Tanya went because I really needed to start getting her out of here. I hated having someone in my house without me here. It drove me nuts thinking someone might be messing with my stuff.

Suddenly, I heard the door slam and realized I no longer needed to look for her. The loud door slam was proof enough that I didn't need to explain to her that nothing was going to be happening with us tonight. That's just as well, as I hardly need any distractions for tonight. I need to get my shit together and start packing some heat.

Until next week….or maybe sooner depending on how soon I can get it out. Many thanks to those of you who have put me on their Story Alerts. You make me very happy, this being my first story and all!


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks again to my beta Kaitlyn Belle for all her help! Reviews are very welcoming as this is my first time doing this…

**Chapter 3: The 'Rose' Club**

**BPOV**

Wow, I did pretty well for myself. This view was to die for! I scored a nice corner office on the top floor down the hall from Emmett's. There were glass walls all around me with a breathtaking view of Miami Beach and a skyline that made your jaw drop. It doesn't get much better than this! The sky was beautiful as the sun was just setting for the day; hues of purple, orange and red streaked the horizon and I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful sunset. It's really true what they say about Florida; there's nothing like a sunset in the paradise of the east coast! My desk was the size of small third world country too. It was mahogany, nonetheless. A newly upholstered designer couch sat in the corner backing up to the glass wall with some cutesy throw pillows on it. Hell, I even had a granite bar in the other corner complete with barstools, liquor cabinet and dartboard. I can't forget to mention the fuck-awesome stereo system complete with surround sound too. Wow, they really spared no expense in this place.

Did they ever get any work done here? Or did they just drink and throw wild parties? And then after the wild parties, maybe they threw some darts around and just hoped it landed on the dartboard and not on some poor unsuspecting soul who walked in at the wrong time. I'm guessing by this elaborate setup that I was supposed to be doing quite a bit of entertaining. And by entertaining it seems like some seductive schmoozing complete with alcohol, soothing music and a couch that I'll bet dollars to doughnuts pulls out into a queen size bed. Uh-huh…

Now, I'm not stupid enough to not know that the sales department is a huge money maker for any business, let alone an exotic sports car company that is 99% a man's world. They hired me, a woman, to draw the clients in and keep them satisfied. I also did my research and knew that there are not a lot of female executives in the sports car business. This makes me unique in more ways than one. I also knew I was not an unattractive female. I could get my fair share of men when I wanted to and could turn on the old charm when needed. However, I'm definitely not pimping myself out to any man, let alone clients/customers but I could see the end goal. My predecessor was beautiful I was told, and one can only imagine how far she had gone to get some of these high-end clients. I was here for one reason only and I really needed to remember to keep myself in line. I also knew I had to keep up appearances.

Just as I was still lost in thought, my intercom buzzed. "Ms. Dwyer, Rosalie is here to see you as you requested," Alice said.

Alice seems really nice - a bit too perky perhaps but really sweet. I like her short, cropped black hair; it was unique. She had great fashion sense too. She wore these crazy high black and silver Manolo Blanik's that were to die for and a cute pantsuit that shrieked "touch me!" It was a bit too loud for my taste but it looked like it suited her just fine. _Oh well, to each their own._

"Great, send her in, please, Alice." I stated as I was still taking in the beautiful view. Well, one full day of work down and so far so good.

I've been poring over files that were left for me by Emmett and my predecessor. As far as the sales department goes, everything looked on the up and up. As a matter of fact, I've never seen such great numbers. The exotic car business is very lucrative and I am beginning to see why my office looks the way it does.

I walked over toward the door when I heard it open and took my hand out to greet Rosalie, my sales manager. Rosalie was a completely different creature than Alice. She was blonde with long hair and had pretty brown eyes. However, she came off as aloof and cold. I don't know if she was pissed off because I got a job she wanted or if I was just getting a weird vibe.

"Hello, Rosalie, I'm Marie Dwyer, your new Sales Director. I just wanted to get acquainted with you because it looks like you and I will be working quite a bit together. Please, have a seat." I brought my chair around to the front of my desk and sat down beside her – knowing that you always want to "share space" when building rapport with a person instead of coming across as confrontational from behind a desk.

"Hello, Ms. Dwyer, it's nice to finally meet you. I've heard quite a bit about you, actually, from Emm- I mean Mr. Cullen," she stated as she smoothed down her dress and crossed her legs, sitting on the nice leather chair that probably cost two grand.

Hmmm… she's on a first name basis with the big boss too. I wonder if that's the norm around here or if he's just one big flirt to everyone. I need to take a mental note of that for later. "Please call me Marie, Rosalie!" I exclaimed while reaching for the bottle of Perrier on my desk. Yes, that's in my well stocked fridge next to the bar too. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you… Marie and you can call me Rose. Is it true that you came all the way here from Seattle? What's it like on the other side of the country? Is it true what they say about Washington? Rain, clouds and more rain? Does it still have the highest rate for suicides?" Rose chuckled as her legs now crossed the other way. I'm not sure if she was trying to be funny or sarcastic.

"Yes, far away, yes and still yes," I giggled. "I just felt it was time for a change."

I can't divulge any of my secrets to my colleagues/employees so I didn't elaborate on that one. At this point, I need to get as much information out of these employees as possible without them suspecting me of anything and I needed to be pretty sneaky about it.

"So this meeting is basically just to get to know you and I hope you let me do that. I need to work my way around my staff and thought I'd start at the top. As you know, I am here to replace Ms. Wilkins, your previous Sales Director, and I hope that you and I can work well together. I've done a lot of research on C&M and am quite familiar with your clients. I'd like for you to help me with the ins and outs of this company; the ones I cannot do research on unless I actually work here. And now that I do, I'd like to sit and chat with you for awhile about a few things I'm still curious about," I stated, hoping that I didn't come off too strong and nosy.

I really need to get some questions answered so I can determine shipment locations and get some good contacts for my boss back in Washington, D.C.

"Sure, what would you like to know first?" Rose asked.

"Great! Well, first of all, I'd like a list of all your importers. That way I can start contacting them personally and introduce myself. I know that Emmett said there's an electronic list on Ms. Wilkins' computer but I'd like to check that list against yours, if that's OK. Secondly, I would like all national and international locations that we ship the cars to and from in the past 5 years - and not just the ports but the docks as well. I want to make sure I familiarize myself with these companies and know them like the back of my hand. Also, I will need the trucking companies and any unions that we are associated with as well. I don't want to be stepping on anyone's toes so I'm going to need to start reading up on my union laws." I think I'd better stop there. That should get me enough information to start with and keep my D.C. boss happy for the time being.

"OK, but this will take me some time to get everything together for you. As you probably know, we have different departments that handle our logistics but I'll get the heads of these departments together and have them get this information to you in a timely manner," Rose said as she crossed her legs in the chair.

"Thanks, Rose. I will also need the sales projections for this year and next. I'd like us to meet again tomorrow after I look at them tonight. I want to make sure we're on the right track and all of our goals are being met. I don't want anything getting lost in the transition," I said as I got up to throw away my Perrier. "Just out of curiosity, Rose, does everyone's office look like this? This view takes my breath away!"

"Well, you are the head of the department now and they don't spare any expense for their executives. You are going to have to produce the clients though – C&M will spoil you but they do expect you to deliver." Rose certainly liked to be blunt but I respected that trait in her. I wouldn't want her to be any other way than honest with me. She had this air of arrogance but yet she still seemed a little broken.

She continued to talk while I looked out the window. "I do love living in Miami. I've lived here for the past 6 years and have travelled quite a bit. I can actually say I've never seen more beautiful sunsets. And no, not everyone's office is like this. Only the executives have corner offices on different floors, of course. Mine is down the hall, by the way, two offices down from yours," Rose said. "So now that you are here to stay, have you thought about where you're going to live? I can tell you about which neighborhoods are better than others. Miami is quite a huge place and if you know which portion of the city you'd like to live in, I could help with that."

Hmm, she seems to be warming up and maybe I didn't overwhelm her like I'd thought. "Yeah, that'd be great. Mr. Cullen said that Alice was putting together some brochures and maps for me but firsthand knowledge is always helpful! Which side do you live on?"

Rose paused for a minute, glancing at her nails. "I live in Coconut Grove at the moment. Since we're located downtown near the Financial District, I would assume you'd want to live close to here, maybe Brickell Key. I don't want to pry, but do you have a family? There are certain areas that are better to live when you're single."

"Oh no. I don't have any family here and yes, I am single. I actually don't know anyone else down here so any help you can give me, I'd appreciate it. I've got to call the moving company to pack all my things back up in Seattle. Once everything is here I'll need to know where some stores are and things like that," I said as I glanced down at my watch. Wow, it was getting late. It was dinner time and my stomach was growling a little too loud at the moment.

"Um, will you also need to know where some restaurants are too, perhaps?" Rose said as she laughed when my stomach growled. "Alice and I were going to go out to the Rose Bar. If you'd like, you're more than welcome to come with us." I thought for a short moment if that was a good idea, but I did need to make friends here and besides, I was starving!

"Well, if you two don't mind me tagging along, that'd be great. Just let me grab my purse and I'll be ready to go." I got up and went around my desk and grabbed my purse out of my bottom drawer. "So, just where is this 'Rose Bar'? As long as they have food, it sounds great to me!"

"I like going there because it's my namesake," laughed Rose and she stuck her nose up in the air and flipped her hair around. "Besides, there are lots of hot men to look at!" Rose sashayed out of my office out to hallway where Alice's cubicle was located. I followed out behind her almost tripping on these damn heels. I wasn't big on wearing heels on the force, of course, but I had to look the part here.

Alice was ready in a quick second, forwarding her phone for the night and shutting her computer down. She was a petite little thing; no bigger than 5'1", I guessed, although with heels she was a good 5'5". As we were walking toward the elevator, I noticed a light on down the hallway. It looks like Emmett kept late hours. I'd have to make a note of that, keeping track of his hours to how late I might need to stay to retrieve the intelligence I needed. It looks like there's going to be some late nights for me if he keeps that up.

Alice was in full force, talking a mile a minute. I was trained in quite a few languages and dialect but geez, could she blurt things out in record time. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun. Marie, we are going to show you around Miami and you'll have a feel for the city in no time. This is the best bar too. The Rose Club is awesome for prowling and the men here are to die for... You aren't married, right Marie? No boyfriend, ball and chain, significant other, stalkers or anything, right? Because we are going to have a kickin' good time, tonight. Oh, and the drinks! Best cosmopolitans in town, not to mention the mojitos! You've got to love mojitos now that you'll be living in Miami."

"Whoa, slow down there a little bit, slugger. You're going to scare her away and she just started here," Rose said as we were stepping off the elevator. Once we were outside, she flagged us a cab and we were off.

We got to The Rose Club in record time it seemed, as I dodged question after question from Ms. Busybody. _And I thought I was bad_… We walked inside and the bar was wall-to-wall people. Alice said that there was a terrace, too, which was nice because they served food out there and it was less crowded. The place was definitely… colorful. I see where they got the name Rose Club – there was pink lighting everywhere. It was tastefully decorated and Alice was right; there was some mighty fine eye candy here tonight!

"Look, there's a table outside by the railing, I'll go grab it," Alice said, running in her 4 inch heels like it was nothing. After looking at the menus and ordering a few appetizers, I decided to ask the girls some personal questions since they hit me up on the way over here.

"So, Alice I take it you're not attached either. You don't have a boyfriend or anything?" I said, winking at her because she knew I was regurgitating her words back to her.

"Nope. No time like the present though! What do you two think of those guys over there in the corner? You know, the ones with the tight jeans and Affliction shirts?"

Rose and I glanced over at the two guys she was talking about. Hmmm, not bad. "Well," Rose whispered over to Alice, "they certainly look hot from here but it is kind of dark. Why don't we eat first and then scout out later?"

"Ugh, ok I guess. So, tell us Marie, what do you think of C&M so far? Do you like your new office?" Alice said as she was still eyeing the prize in the corner.

"It's pretty unbelievable, really. I knew C&M did well for themselves but the office is total penthouse quality. I mean, who has an office complete with a bar and a dartboard?" I laughed sipping on a margarita we ordered a short while ago. I did have to be careful here; it wouldn't be prudent to get drunk the first night out with the girls from the office - especially since I'm the boss.

"I know, right?" snorted Alice. "Yeah, when our company does things, they do it up right huh, Rose?"

"Uh, yeah right," Rose stammered. OK, she's definitely sore she didn't get the job. So this conversation started getting uncomfortable. I needed to change topics a little.

"So, other than this club, what do you guys do for fun?" I said while I was perusing the room, doing a little people watching.

"Well, Rose and I like to go to the gym after work. It's called the Downtown Athletic Club and they have everything there - rock climbing, boxing, Pilates…."

I knew I heard Alice still talking but I was transfixed on something completely different. Or should I say someone. It couldn't be. No. Way. It was dark out here on the terrace but I would recognize that face anywhere. And that long hair. And those terrifying eyes.

All of a sudden, the room started spinning and I was sweating profusely. Granted, it was hot out here in Miami, but this wasn't sweat from the heat; it was sweat from sheer terror. I hadn't drunk but half of one margarita too.…

James - in Miami of all places. How in the hell is that possible? I had to get out of here fast.

"Uh, guys I have to go. I just remembered something I have to do. Please forgive me," I said getting up from my chair quickly so he didn't notice me. He was now standing with his back toward me so I could make a quick exit. "Here's my card for dinner, I'll just get it from you tomorrow." C&M had set me up with a big expense account to take clients out, another perk of the job.

"Marie, wait, is something wrong?" shouted Alice as I was practically running out of the restaurant.

"No, just gotta run. I'll see you all tomorrow! Thanks, and my apologies…." I said again. Many horrible thoughts were running through my head and I didn't like what they were saying to me. After all this time, all of this distance and I run in to him at a club all the way across the country? What are the chances of that?


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and put me on Story Alert. I'm going to try and post once a week but if I don't, bear with me because it will be close to that. With that being said, hope you enjoy Chapter 4 which is a more in-depth look at Edward's background and why he is the way he is...**

**Chapter 4: An Evening to Remember…NOT**

**EPOV**

RRRRrrrrriiiiinnnnggggg! RRRRRiiiiiiiinnnngggg! Ugh. There was no way it was time to get up yet. I guess the damn alarm clock wouldn't be going off if not. I reached over and not only slammed my hand down on the button, but also threw the blaring device across the room. Yeah, that shut it up real quick. My head was pounding, and it felt like someone was hammering it from both sides. I needed some aspirin really bad right now. Turning my sore body around, I sat up on the side of the bed and put my feet on the floor. That was a big mistake, the whole damn room started to spin. Whoa! What the hell did I drink last night?

"Well, good morning, sugar," a female voice said beside me, as she rose from the bed.

"Aaaahhhh! Who the _hell_ are you?" I shouted, pulling the sheet back to my side of the bed. Holy shit. I had never seen this woman in my life. Not that I wasn't used to picking up one-night stands, but at least I usually remembered doing it.

"Well, good morning to you too, darling. I'm so glad you remember last night." She sighed as she leaned over toward my side of the bed and looked up at me. The sheets conveniently fell off of her naked body, as if she seemed not to care.

She was quite attractive. Her hazel eyes were a little bloodshot, but she had nice full lips and pretty white teeth. Hmmm, at least I had good taste when I was wearing my beer goggles. Reaching over to touch my face, her long, blonde hair brushed up against my shoulder, tickling it slightly. The back of her hand stroked the side of my stubbly jaw, and she planted a kiss on my forehead. My head was still spinning as I had absolutely no recollection of her in my bed last night whatsoever.

She rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed, her naked, lean body stretching as she stood up. Leaning up on my elbow, I saw her bending down and heard her rustling around in a bag of some sort. The next thing I knew she had set out her paraphernalia on my nightstand and laid out her lines of coke. Before I could sit up and yell at her to stop, she had snorted the powder dry in a matter of seconds.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked as I rose up, pulling the sheet with me. I'm not quite sure why I had to bother doing this, since I was sure she had already seen me naked. _Great, I managed to pick up some drugged up whore, and I can only hope to God I used a condom_. What the hell was I thinking? I mean, obviously I wasn't thinking, at least with my brain, but usually I had some semblance of mind to know what kind of girl I slept with.

"What's wrong, baby, did you want some? I'm sorry; I should've asked you first." She turned around to look at me as her hand went up to her nose and wiped off the last remnants of powder. Her eyes were glazed over already, and she was probably hung over from last night, and truth be told mine probably looked the same. I hope I didn't indulge in any drugs.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I don't want that shit in my house! Who do you think you are? The last damn thing I need is drugs in here!" I was furious. Who did this bitch think she was anyway? Hell, for all she knew, I could've been an undercover cop or something, and here she was, snorting coke in my house.

"Oh, get over it, lover boy. It was just a small hit, nothing big. It was the last of all I had anyway – you're just jealous I didn't offer you any first." She had irritated me and assumed she knew what I wanted after sleeping with her for one night? Hell, she was a pretty girl, but just because I sold the shit, didn't mean I wanted it in my house or made me a user. I also didn't like to date a girl who used drugs either. I guess that was pretty hypocritical, but she didn't have to know that.

Man, I kept wondering about how much I drank last night. I desperately tried to think back on the previous night's activities. It must have been a shitload to not have remembered that fine piece of ass that was now in my bathroom. Drugged up, yes, but still hot.

I sat upright in the bed and reached over to pull the nightstand drawer open. I grabbed the bottle of aspirin and popped a few in my mouth. As I swallowed the pills, I looked all over the floor for a torn condom wrapper and prayed I would find one or two. I'd settle for one. Wow, looking down really made the room spin more, and my head started throbbing again. Ugh.

Think, Edward, think. Yesterday… what did you do yesterday?

**Flashback to yesterday…**

_Jazz and I raised our beer mugs to one another and clinked them together. "Job well done, bro," Jazz said as he downed his beer in one shot. We were celebrating our triumphant win over the Lattanzi brothers, one of our arch-nemeses in the dealing world. Initially, we had a meeting at the docks with the buffoons who messed up our last shipment and cost us quite a bit of cash. But, when we had gone there and "discussed" with them the extent of our discontent, they squealed and told us that they were paid double what we paid them to screw up the shipment. It only took three hits to the gut, two to the jaw, two to the nose, and one kidney punch for them to rat out the eldest Lattanzi brother; our biggest enemy to date._

"_You should've seen the look on the guy's face when I pulled out my brass knuckles. That was priceless, man!" Jazz laughed while he waved the server over for more drinks. "One crack of his jaw and he was spilling out every piece of information they ever gave him. Good thing he could still talk!"_

"_They gave up the complete goods on those motherfuckers, the idiots. They must think we started doing this yesterday, like we are the stupidest people on the planet," I said as I slammed my glass on the table, wondering when my next drink was coming._

_Those dock workers were not the sharpest tools in the shed. Once we started playing hardball, they spewed all kinds of information to us - the Lattanzi hideout, their next shipment dates, and the name of the pharmaceutical company they kept on their payroll. Hell, they even gave us their girlfriends' phone numbers on a piece of paper for Christ's sake! I stowed mine carefully in my suit pocket for safe keeping. Yep, those guys were a bunch of half-witted morons−the kind of jackasses that made guys like me rich._

_The server finally arrived with our drinks, and I looked to see what Jazz had ordered us. There were about five different shots on the tray she had brought to the table. "Okay, Jazz-man, just what am I getting myself in to here? I didn't want to be puking my guts up all day tomorrow. I have shit to do."_

"_C'mon, Edward, we're here to celebrate! We just scored a huge coup for Cullen & Masen, and you're worried what you'll be mixing together? Speaking of mixing together−where the hell is Emmett? He was supposed to be here by now. Is he screwing that sales manager again?" Jazz was on a roll. Usually he was the calmest person in the room, but now he was the loudest. _

"_I'll give him a call. Maybe he's helping the new employee move or something. He told me he hired a new sales director, Mary, Margaret, Marise, shit, I don't remember." I picked up one of the shots and drank it down quickly. Whoa. That one was tequila. Great. "I do remember him saying how hot she was. All I care about is that she knows her shit. Sarah knew what she was doing, and then she had to go and move on us. The sales department is the driving force of C&M, and as long as they keep us looking legit, we smell like a rose. Her being hot is just an added bonus," I said when I downed shot number two which I had guessed was scotch by looking at it. . .Yeah, I was right. _

_Emmett picked up on the second ring. "Where are you at, Emmett? We've been waiting here at the bar for over an hour." I think I had said that a little too loudly because half of the bar had turned around to look at me._

"_Shut it, Edward. I'm almost there. I just had to follow up on a couple things. By the sound of your slurry voice, it sounds like you've started without me."_

"_You've guessed right, partner. Now hurry your ass on over here. We're on shot number three after having beer number four. We have got some shit to tell you! You're not going to believe it!" I picked up shot number three and eyed the clear liquid very carefully. This couldn't be good. Jazz wasn't going to order us any pansy-ass shot so this had to be harder than vodka. I sniffed it. _

"_Dude, no sniffing! Just drink the shit down – real fast." Jazz had picked his up at the same time and again, we clinked the glasses together. While he downed his shot, I leaned back and poured mine out in the plant sitting behind me. What Jazz didn't know wouldn't hurt him… Victory was smellin' sweet…_

**Present Day**

Pretty Girl had come back into my bedroom, still stark naked and she looked mighty fine. As she went around the room picking up various articles of clothing that I assumed we threw around last night, I noticed a tattoo of a small black octopus on her right hip. It was high enough that you could probably see it if she wore low-cut jeans. It was kind of sexy−different, but still sexy. I was used to seeing butterflies, dragonflies, lady bugs, and tramp stamps, but a black octopus? Nope.

I started to get off the bed to look for my articles of clothing as well. Why can't a person ever find clothes when you need them quickly? Leaning down to look, I noticed a corner of something sticking out from under the bed. Sure enough, it was an empty torn condom wrapper. _Yes, there is a God!_ Interestingly enough though, I had yet to find the used condom. I had to remind myself to look in the bathroom wastebasket for it later.

"I've got lots of things to do today, so if you want to leave your number on the nightstand, that'd be great," I said, not caring if she left the number or not.

"Let's be honest here, shall we? We both used each other for one thing, and we got what we wanted. No need for formalities or anything. I'll be on my way as soon as I gather my things," she said while looking me straight in the eye, her hands on her hips.

"Okay, sounds good to me. I'm sure you'll find your way out then. If you need to call a cab, the phone's over there on the table." Where the hell did I pick her up? Was it at the bar that the guys and I were at in the beginning of the night? Did we go to a nightclub after that? Damn, why couldn't I remember?

I hated awkward partings but, hey, a one-night stand is called just that for a reason. I found my pants, put them on quickly, and headed for the bathroom. I needed to piss really badly and the room still spun. That's the last damn time I let Jazz buy the drinks. I had thought I poured some of them out, too.

I took a look at myself in the mirror and was scared shitless by what I saw there. Man, did I look like Sasquatch or what? Three days of stubble and I couldn't even recognize myself.

"G'bye, darling," Pretty Girl shouted from the front door. Hell, I didn't even get her name. Funny thing was she didn't know mine either apparently. "I'm sure you've forgiven me about the coke. Next time I'll bring some to share, and you won't be in such a bad mood over it."

"Uh, yeah, see ya around," I muttered while I rubbed my hands over my very whiskery face. There were dark circles around my eyes, and my hair looked like a complete rat's nest. I'd say I was in need of a decent grooming. Good thing I didn't have a lot on my plate today. I pulled open the bathroom drawer and got out my razor only to drop it right into the stupid wastebasket. Bending down to pick it up, I remembered to look for that used condom that had to be in here, unless it's hidden somewhere in the bed under my sheets, which I highly doubted because I am extremely meticulous about that shit. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's bad hygiene. Rummaging through old tissues, Q-tips, an empty shampoo bottle, and dental floss, I thought I was going to gross myself out touching all this nasty stuff. But interestingly enough, there was no condom. Geez, Edward, you were one fucked up dude last night.

I started the shower with thoughts still going through my head of how I hooked up with that chick last night. It's true that we drank a lot, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. Could someone have slipped me something in my drink while I wasn't looking? I always had my wits about me, and I never took drugs. No way was I taking that crap – I saw firsthand what it did to those you love. It was simply a ways to a means, survival of the fittest, an act of desperation, call it what you will… I only sold the stuff, or rather now smuggled it into the country illegally.

I guess it depends on how you look at it, I chuckled to myself. It wasn't that long ago that I had started out as a low man on the totem pole of drug dealers. Now I was a partner in one of the biggest exotic car businesses in the country and running one of the largest drug syndicates as well.  
><em><strong><br>Flashback 8 years ago:**_

"_So just tell me where I need to be and when, Jimmy. I've got this one covered," I said as I had risen up from the hood of my 1995 Honda Civic. Jimmy was the son of my mom's shady boyfriend who was just as shady himself. I had slowly put myself in that category as well. Jimmy and I had talked about our next drug drop-off point. Once you were in good with the 'hood, you learned the entire new street lingo._

"_Back alley of 2__nd__ & Oak behind the old bowling alley," Jimmy said, as he took a long drag off his cigarette. "Remember the code words and don't forget to retrieve the Benji's." _

"_Yeah, yeah, I get it. We've been doing this for over a year, I think I have the routine down by now." I grabbed a rag and started to clean my hands off on it. My Civic had been acting up on me, and I looked under the hood to see if I could fix it. I really couldn't afford to take it to a mechanic._

_Jimmy had come upon me in my darkest hours. He had seen I was down and depressed and pretty much took advantage of the situation. Not that I blamed him; he had seen an opportunity and he took it. It was good for me too, though; I was broke and needed quick cash. I never in a million years thought I would get into dealing drugs – especially when I had seen my mom strung out all the time and knew what put her in that state of constant stupor. It was quite the oxymoron. Mom on drugs. Kid had tried to get mom off drugs. Kid worked odd end jobs to help pay bills and support them. Mom was still on drugs. Kid couldn't get enough money to make ends meet so he started selling drugs to make more money. Now money was easy to come by. Yep, my life was a definitely a soap opera._

_Good ole' Jimmy. The apple didn't fall far from the tree on that one. He had followed right in his father's footsteps and started dealing at the young age of sixteen. He had gotten me involved at the age of seventeen and here I was at eighteen. I was definitely not struggling anymore. I had gotten the routine down now. As a matter of fact, I had gotten the routine down so well that most of our suppliers didn't want to deal with Jimmy anymore. He was never on time, got the quantities mixed up, and was rude as hell to them. He thought he was king of the world or some shit. I didn't know exactly how to tell him, but I was thinking of breaking it off with him. I wanted to start my own dealing business…_

**Present day…**

"Hey, Em, how are you feeling today?" I asked. Em had just stopped by with lunch because we had some C&M business to review.

"A little hung over but nothing I can't handle. Why? Did you and Pretty Girl do some more partying after you left the bar?" Em said while he chewed on a gigantic sandwich.

"Wait, you saw me leave with her? Why didn't you say something to me? And what the hell is that you're eating?" I was sure my best buds, who usually had my back, had suddenly thrown me to the wolves.

"Well, this here is a Double Whopper with Cheese with extra sauce and onions, my man. Best sandwich ever made with the exception of the Big King they used to have years ago… man, I loved that sandwich. Supposed to rival the Big Mac but it didn't last long. Guess I was the only person to ever order it," he said. Emmett could put more food down than a sumo wrestler. I had no idea how he maintained his physique.

"And to answer your other question about the hot chick, you had your hands all over her and were making out on the dance floor so much, I thought the cops were gonna be called in for your show of public indecency! What was all that about anyway? You usually wait until we leave and get your own cab to do the nasty in… what gives?" he asked, taking another huge bite of his Double Whopper.

"That's just it, Em. I don't remember a damn thing about meeting that girl last night. It all gets really fuzzy after the shots Jazz ordered us. Yes, I mixed a few drinks, but I've never woken up to a girl in my bed before that I don't recall getting it on with. I do enjoy my women sober," I said as I fished through the Burger King bag. Usually, I didn't eat fast food but my mind was still fuzzy, and at that particular moment, I didn't give a shit. I needed to get my head on straight and figure out why I'd just slept with Octopussy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Checkpoint Charlie**

**BPOV **

What an interesting week it had been. The people at C&M were really great. Nice, well rounded, highly educated, very experienced…it was going to be hard when this was all over. I hoped they didn't lose their jobs when I brought this company down for its illegal activities. I'm sure once I delved into the inner workings of the job, I'd find that the business had to have legitimate clients and customers. There was no way Emmett and Mr. Mason were running this business solely on trafficking drugs. I knew there was a market out there for exotic cars and C&M seemed to have cornered it.

After my first full week as C&M's sales director, I told Charlie I'd give him a call and fill him in on everything. Checking the clock, I realized he probably would be arriving at work in about an hour and since I was an early riser, I had time to spare while he drove to the office. After pouring myself another cup of coffee, I thought back to the other night at the Rose Club. It seemed like Alice and Rose had forgiven me for running out on them.

When I had gotten back to my hotel room, I just collapsed on the bed. James, my psychotic, demented, abusive ex-boyfriend was here, in Miami, of all places. How did that happen? Was he following me again? He couldn't ruin everything I was starting to build here, he just couldn't. I had too much going for me and I'd gone through so much training for him to have come here and fuck it all up. What was I going to do? I'd made a few mistakes in my lifetime so far, but hooking up with James had been the coup de gras. What did I ever see in him? Oh, was he ever charming at first. He could charm the pants off of staunchly old Queen Elizabeth if he wanted − he was that good. He had the attention of every girl at school and he knew it.

_**Flashback 7 years ago:**_

_I was going to be so late for my English Lit. class and the professor had already told me if I was late again, he was docking me 10 points on my next term paper. Ugh! Running as fast as I could toward the door of the classroom, I opened it and ran straight in to this guy with pretty blue eyes and long dirty blonde hair. _

"_Shit!" I swore as I picked myself off the floor. He was chuckling while looking down at me grinning with those pearly whites._

"_Can I help you with something, gorgeous?" James said._

"_Not unless you can get me out of this mess I'm going to be in with Professor Smith. This is my fifth tardy, and I don't really have a good enough explanation for him," I retorted, hanging my head down low because I just knew it was coming._

_Sure enough, Professor Smith shouted from the front of the classroom, "Well, Swan, what's the excuse today? I just can't wait to hear it."_

_I started to open my mouth to tell him when all of a sudden, James spoke up._

"_I can vouch for Ms. Swan, Professor. She had a flat tire in the parking lot, and I saw campus security helping her out. I was just getting ready to tell you about it," James said as he bent down to help me pick up my books. _

"_Hmpf, okay then, Ms. Swan. Please don't waste any more of my class time. Take a seat will you?" Prof. Smith stated as he walked to the front of the room._

"_Thank you," I silently mouthed to James as I took my seat. He looked over at me from his seat and winked._

_After class, we met up and walked to the local Starbucks. He ordered us both two mocha lattes, and we talked for over an hour. James told me about how he had just moved here from Palm Springs to get away from Florida for awhile. He said he needed a change of scenery and things weren't going well between him and his father so he decided to move across country to go to Seattle U. _

_I had no idea what those things were, but he was interesting to talk to, and we seemed to have lots of things in common. He liked the same music I did, and we enjoyed hanging out at the park on the weekends. He liked the new art museum that just opened up down the road, and he was pretty bad at sports too! _

_After a few weeks of meeting up after class and going to the coffee shop, we met at the park one weekend day. I hadn't felt comfortable enough to tell James about my best friend dying last year because I was still getting over it. Actually, James was the first person I'd even spoke with since the incident, other than Mike of course. So, it was that one day in the park I had divulged in what happened to Lauren and opened my heart to him._

_At first, James was compassionate, listening intently to my story and lending a very sympathetic ear. He seemed to have all the right things to say to put me at ease. But a couple of months later, he started taking advantage of my situation, figuring out he could manipulate me in my darkest part of my life without me knowing it._

"_What if Lauren liked taking drugs recreationally?" James said one day while we were studying in the corner of the library for our English test. "I mean, you know some people just like to get a little high every once in a while. What's the big deal?"_

_What's the big deal? Did he just ask me "what's the big deal?" when my best friend just died of a drug overdose a year ago? "Have you not been listening to me? Lauren is dead because of drugs. D-E-A-D," I spelled out to him very slowly. "How can you just speak so nonchalantly about that?" I could feel my face heat up with fury. How dare he make light out of a situation like that?_

"_Just chill out, Bella. What I'm trying to say is, at first she was just trying to relax from the stress of her classes and everything, is all. Have you never wanted to just get away from reality for awhile? Get away from everyone telling you what to do all the time, how to do it and when to do it? Just escape from all your worries even if it's for a small amount of time?" James asked trying to get closer to me. He scooted his chair over towards mine and turned it so that it was facing my back. Putting his hands on my shoulders, he begun to massage them, but it did nothing to relieve my tension._

"_All right. Let's get to the issue at hand here James. Sounds like you had a shitty childhood. How is that supposed to equate with Lauren's drug problem? I mean, she had a great childhood, wonderful parents, everything going for her..." I just stopped talking. Where was he going with this? _

"_Bella," James whispered in to my neck, easily trying to change the subject, "you have lived," he said as he started putting small kisses on my neck, "a charmed life, obviously. All I'm saying is you need to relax a little. Lauren probably started out innocently taking drugs to relieve the stress." _

_Sort of like he was getting ready to relieve mine right now, I thought._

"_I'm sure she never intended to keep taking them forever," he continued._

_Okay, I wanted to know where he was going to take this conversation on one hand, and on the other, I wanted to know where he was going to put his lips on me next. James and I had been getting closer, but we had yet to do the deed. I still didn't know all that much about his past and my gut was telling me that I really should find out before things got too far. But my hormones told me something completely different._

"_Let's go back to my place," he said, as he rubbed the back of his right hand across my cheek, giving it a cold feel as his ring brushed against me. James wore a strange ring and I remembered asking him about it once but he just gave me a lame answer. He said it was a legacy ring, whatever that was. He got up and shoved his books into his backpack, not waiting for me to answer. I hesitated, getting up as well and gathering my stuff together. I hadn't answered yet because I knew once I stepped foot into his apartment that we would sleep together. Did I want this? I was really attracted to James and I knew he was attracted to me too. We'd been going out now for a few months, and I was getting sexually frustrated. He had to have been too._

"_Okay," I said as we both looked up at each other and headed toward the library door. It wasn't long before we drove across campus to his apartment. One minute he was putting his key into the door, and the next minute, he was putting his dick inside of me. Yeah, it was that fast and that forgettable. No foreplay, no passion, no nothing. _

_A few weeks went by and James and I were still seeing each other, but his mood swings were terrible. I knew something was off about him. If he would call, and I wasn't home, he questioned my whereabouts and who I was with at the time. His jealousy was verging on highly annoying. One night I went to the local market to pick up some milk, and was walking out of the store when I noticed his car in the parking lot. I walked up to it, thinking he would be in there, but he wasn't. When I asked him the next day about it, he said a friend borrowed his car. The same thing happened when I went to the dry cleaners, my tutor's office, and the nail salon._

_I knew he was stalking me and this had to end. . .and I had a feeling it would end badly. I was right. One night, I decided to publicly break up with him at a restaurant. I couldn't take the chance to do it alone in my apartment and his mood swings were just too hard to judge. Little did James know, I had brought my friend Mike along with me to sit in the booth behind us so he couldn't see him. James walked in with flowers in hand. Oh great, this just got even more difficult._

"_Hi, James, um, thank you for the lovely flowers. Do you want to order a drink? How was your day?" I eased in to this conversation, but secretly wanted it over as quickly as possible._

"_Great. I got an A on my Chemistry test. You know the one you helped me study for," he said taking his jacket off and putting it next to him. "I have you to thank for that too, pretty lady," he whispered over the table to me and gave me a chaste kiss._

_My heart was beating a mile a minute. You can do this, Bella. Breathe. "Listen, James, I have something to tell you. I might as well just come out and say it." Here it goes… "I've been offered a job this summer working with my dad, and I'm leaving next week. I like you and everything, but I think I'm going to need some space for awhile. I hope you understand." _

_James just stared at me like I had a third eye. Then the look on his face turned from shock to sheer horror. "You're breaking up with me?" he asked as he squinted his eyes at me and clasped his hands together on the table. "You're not breaking up with me, right Bella? Where did this job come from? You never mentioned this to me before. Why didn't you let me know about this earlier?"_

_I felt my face flush and I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I heard Mike behind me in the booth moving around, and could tell he wanted to come over to save me. I gave him the signal we had talked about earlier. First signal: right hand twirls hair–Stay where you are. Second signal: Tap left hand on top of head–Get the hell over here quick! _

_I twirled my hair on the right side as I started to answer James. "It was pretty sudden. My dad just called a couple days ago. He said an internship opened up at the bureau, and it was mine if I wanted it. I'd be a fool not to take it. It's going to look great on my resume." James knew that my dad worked for a government agency, but I never told him which one. "And I guess I am breaking up with you. I just don't want to get serious, and I know I'll be gone all summer. I need to start focusing on my education and career right now. I'm so sorry, James."_

_The look on James' face was one of pure madness. James had a menacing look about him anyway, and now it was even more amplified. After all of the time I'd known James, we never really conversed about his personal life. The only thing I really ever knew about him was he was from Florida and he didn't get along with his father. It was obvious that his dad was controlling, someone who watched his every move, and guided him on all the wrong paths of life. I knew that was where I would end up too, if I didn't get out of this relationship._

"_I can't believe this. I thought we were coming here to have a nice dinner, not for you to break up with me. You're making me look like a fool, Bella!" James shouted as he slammed his fists on the table, making most people in the restaurant turn and look at us. "You're not breaking up with me. I won't let you do this. I love you, Bella, and you need me whether you know it or not."_

"_No, James, I don't need you, and actually, I don't love you. Your mood swings make me dizzy! One minute you're sweet and the next minute you're screaming at me and stalking me! What kind of relationship is that? I'm sorry, but it's over."_

_I really didn't expect what came next. It happened so quickly that I couldn't have seen it coming. Therefore, I didn't have time to tap my hand on my head to warn Mike. Suddenly, James took the back of his right hand and slapped me as hard as he could across the face. Something hard and solid smacked against my nose and I heard a pretty loud crack. Everything went black for a quick second. Next thing I remember was lots of screaming, Mike shouting at the bartender to call 911 and looking down and seeing blood everywhere. . . _

**Present Day**

"Hiya, kiddo," Charlie said on the other end of the phone. "I've been dying to call and see how it's going but I knew you told me to give you a week. What have you got so far?" Some things with Charlie never change. I'll always be his kiddo no matter what age I am.

"It's going great so far. C&M is quite the establishment. Ironically enough, the employees are awesome, and I really think they have no idea what their company's core business actually is which is kind of sad. I know I'm going to have my work cut out for me, trying to figure out who is involved with the trafficking and who isn't. My guess is that it's just a select few, possibly just the owners. If I were a betting woman, they've got two different sets of books they keep too."

I had been thinking about this all week. On Wednesday afternoon, I needed some information on the Aston Martin line. When Emmett had shown me around on my first tour he had taken me through C&M's media library. It was unbelievable! It would put UW's library to shame, which is saying a lot. It held over 15,000 DVDs, 40,000 individual slides, and 3,000 reels of motion picture film. All of which had some type of exotic car in them. It was in this library that I found all the information and photos I needed on the Aston line to score a huge meeting with a big client. I actually got lucky on that one. Alice wasn't at her desk when the call came in so I answered my phone directly. The financier of a rich sultan was in town and wanted to buy 5 Aston Martins, but he wanted to know all the specs of every one ever made. I wasn't sure why, but if a client was going to spend over a million dollars, I could spend a few hours of research in the library to get it. It was also in this same library that I met Heidi, the accounting director.

We exchanged pleasantries and I introduced myself to her while silently wondering which accounting director she was exactly. Was she the decoy who saw only the legit books or was she the trusted employee who did both? This is something I definitely needed to explore further, and I decided to take her to lunch the next Friday to pick her brain, or the lock on her door after hours− whichever came first.

"Ahem." My dad coughed, and it brought me back to reality.

"So, let's start with Emmett, who is co-owner of C&M, the 'C' part of the business. He's very charming, gregarious and his presence is really powerful. He's quite a big guy too – probably 6'4, very broad shoulders and is extremely intelligent. He stays quite late at the office, well after everyone leaves. I'm sure that's when he does the drug transfers, contacts his clients and arranges the logistics of the schedules." My stomach started growling, and I suddenly remembered I should eat something. I still didn't have a lot of food or snacks in the hotel room, and I made a mental note to get some at the gift shop downstairs.

Charlie hummed into the phone. "Good, what you need to do is break into his office somehow. We are going to need concrete proof of these shipments, Bella. We're also going to need names, dates, and places. I know this will be difficult, but without this evidence we've got nothing."

"Yeah, I know. I've just been trying to figure out a way in there. He literally stays there all hours of the night. I've been there until eleven almost every night this week and he's still there. I've got to find an intervention somehow. Dad, this isn't going to happen quickly, you know that, right? I've only been here a week, and we both know this could be a long term sting. I'm going to try my best to get the goods on them, but first I'm going to need to build a rapport with him," I said, knowing my dad liked to do things quick, but also thorough.

"I know, baby. I just don't like you in danger and the longer you're there, the bigger the risk. The guys here at the Bureau do want progress, so can you give me anything else?" Charlie wasn't the type to let up, and I don't blame him. He was always so protective of me and truth be told, he didn't want me in this business. However, he did like working with his little girl.

"I had my sales manager, Rose give me a few reports. I'm getting those ready for you now, and I'll be mailing them out today. They show, in detail, all the national and international locations of where C&M ships their cars. I also have a list of all the transportation companies they work with, and the unions from the past five years. Also included in that list are the ones they no longer work with too. I want you to match these up and delve in to why they were let go. After a quick glance, some of these companies were with C&M for a long time, and then I see they were suddenly cut off. We need to find out the reasons behind this."

This is where my dad and his crew came in to play. They were a great research team, and I knew this information would take them awhile. They would have to go out and interview the employees of the various transportation companies to get the scoop.

Charlie was writing this down, and I heard someone in the background hollering his name. "Okay, sweetheart, I gotta run. Duty calls. Mail that out to me priority mail please and be careful. I know you're well trained, but you're still my daughter. I gotta watch out for ya." Always the worry wart. "Oh, and Bella?"

"Yes, Dad, what is it?" I sighed.

He always had to get the last word. "Call your mother. She told me you haven't called her in awhile and she's worried about you."

"Yes, Dad. Will do. Talk to you next week unless I have something to report. Take care and love you. G'bye."

Charlie hung up, and I tossed myself across the bed. Great, gotta call Mom. She and Charlie divorced a few years back, but they were still on speaking terms. I loved my Mom, but she always loved to dole out advice. Sometimes that advice was good and sometimes it was way out there. She was always the stargazer, wandering aimlessly through life.

She was never sure of what she wanted to do in life, but hey, who really does, right?

I picked up the phone again and dialed her number, hoping she wouldn't answer. I was just exhausted and wanted to relax for a little while.

"Hello, Bella, is that you?" Renee said in a hopeful voice.

"Yes, it's me. Mom how are you? Sorry I haven't called, but I'm sure you know by now from Dad that I've moved to Miami. I have an assignment out here for awhile. How's things?"

"It's so good to hear your voice, dear. I'm doing great. I'm taking some painting classes, and the girls down at the country club have talked me into doing a spinning class. Have you ever tried that? It's exhausting!" exclaimed Renee, who probably hadn't exercised a day in her life.

"Yes, Mom, I actually have. I joined a gym down here around the corner from my office. Some girls from work go there and we're actually going to start rock climbing. Can you believe that? Me trying to rock climb." My Mom knew how athletic I was so I knew what her answer would be.

"Now, Bella, you'd better wear all the right gear, dear. I hear those things are dangerous. Speaking of dangerous, what have you gotten yourself into down in Miami? Isn't Miami a dangerous place? I hear all sorts of stories on the news about drugs and shootings and everything. Do you have your guns with you? Remember your training too, Bella. I'm sure it will all come in handy down there." Oh, good ole' Renee. Always the one to dish out the advice.

"Sure, Mom. As you know, I'm well prepared in most situations. Quit worrying about me." Mom knew all about my training and my career choice. That didn't mean she was okay with it. She wanted me to be a model. Ha! I was all of 5'4…some model I would make.

"So, how's everything else? Have you been out on the town yet? Met anyone new? I'm sure there are lots of cute guys down in Miami." I walked around my room peering out at the city through the glass patio door. I had yet to move out of the hotel room. Alice wanted to go house hunting with me to show me the area since I still wasn't familiar with my surroundings. We had both been busy, but decided to squeeze it in tomorrow afternoon.

"No, Mom, no men yet. I'm still getting acclimated to my surroundings. I haven't had time with learning the new job and all. Tomorrow I'm going house hunting so all those gorgeous men out there will just have to wait another day!" I flipped through my appointment book and noticed that Alice wrote in there "Shopping with Alice" at 3pm today. What? When did she write that? I glanced at my watch and it was 2:30. Heck, I was still in my pajamas.

"Listen, Mom, I gotta run. I just noticed something in my appointment book and I'm supposed to go shopping with my secretary. I'm not sure what for, but I've got less than 30 minutes to get ready." I started throwing off my pajamas and pulling open drawers to find something to put on quickly.

"Oh, that'll be nice dear. Shopping will be good for you – it's very relaxing. By the way, why don't you stop at a cute lingerie shop and buy yourself some new things. You never know when you're going to need it. You might get lucky someday soon if you ever quit being a workaholic like your father." Renee never missed a chance to comment on my love life either. Geesh!

"Check. Love ya, Mom. Talk to you later." Oh brother…like I have time to go lingerie shopping and why would I need to–it wasn't like I was going to meet some hunk anytime soon with everything I've got on my plate.


	6. Chapter 6

Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just own this story, not the characters.

All Human. Pairings do not start out how they will end. Bella x Edward eventually.

Rated M for language, illegal activity, sex and violence.

**Bella and Edward finally meet…what you all have been waiting for! It's quite hilarious too! Please leave me reviews – it helps give me feedback for other chapters. Thanks!**

**Chapter 6 Agent Provocateur – At Your Service**

**EPOV**

There was nothing better than to feel your muscles burn after a good workout. It was a good kind of pain. But then again, sex could be considered a good workout too, and you didn't have to leave your house for it and your muscles still burned – if you really put some good effort into it. I always put forth a great effort in sex. No woman left my bed unsatisfied. But today wasn't about sex; it was about me getting in some good bench work so I could feel ready to beat the shit out of someone today if I so needed to…you never knew in this business.

"Emmett, can you spot me on this lift? I've only got one more set left, and I'm going to try for my personal best. Two hundred and seventy-five pounds, baby." Growing up, I was always the tall lanky kid who never had any muscle on his bones and had the nickname "E - Masenated". Yeah, all the kids thought that was so funny. Everyone, that is, but me. I decided from that point on, I was no longer going to be the butt of everyone's jokes and finally do something about my physique.

I could do this. I had been working out for years now and had gotten into a routine. Emmett, Jazz and I worked out four days a week at the Downtown Athletic Club from three to five pm. We were creatures of habit. It was a good time to go since the gym was always so crowded at night, however, there were more hot chicks at night, but we were pretty serious when it came to working out. It was also a good place to talk some business. There weren't a lot of people at this time of day and most of them had their iPods on anyway.

"All right, Eddie boy let's see what you've got," Emmett said. Benching 275 for him would be like lifting another doughnut to his mouth. But for me, at 6'2,185 lb. frame, I was trying to hit an all- time personal goal.

I laid there for a few seconds breathing in and concentrating – working up the "psyche". I hooked both my hands under the bar and squeezed them tight making sure I had a good grip on it. Emmett gave me a lift off the bar and then let go so I could feel the full weight and adjust before I brought it down to my chest. I wanted to do a full, clean press by bringing the weight all the way down and pressing it up with no spot. So many guys cheated on their bench presses. I mean, hell, I could do 315 if I only brought the weight half way down and called it a lift.

Damn, this was heavy! When I was going for a max lift, it always shocked my body for a second or two, especially when I felt that weight on my elbows, shoulders, wrists and chest. It was a good feeling though. I had to be_ completely_ focused – no fucking around in my head – no mental vacations while I had that kind of weight on my chest. It was dangerous as shit, but man, it sure was one hell of a rush when that weight was coming off my chest. If there was anything I had learned in life so far, it was live life to the fullest every fucking moment that you have air in your lungs. Carpe Diem; go for fucking broke. I'd never been a quitter and, with this kind of weight on my chest (which was 50 pounds more than I had ever pressed); it was time to get some sack and make it work.

"Umpf…," I struggled getting the bar down to my chest. My elbows and shoulders felt the strain, my wrists were screaming, even with my wraps. I felt my face getting red from the effort. I thought to myself_, "Goddamn it Edward, breathe, or you're going to blow a gasket." _

"Ed, I've got you brother. Kick its ass! It's all you!" Emmett said, letting me know he had me on the spot. Emmett was an excellent spotter, which did give me a tremendous level of comfort to even try this lift. "Breathe man, holy shit, breathe dude!"

I knew I had to exhale hard on the press from my chest, grip the bar tighter than a hot chick's ass, and explode with all my energy at the same time. "AHHHHHHHH!" I let out a primal scream like a man possessed, and the bar started to move. "Oh, hell yeah!" I thought in my head as the bar kept a slow, smooth progression toward full extension. As the last few inches of the lift were in my grasp, I finished strong and fully locked out the lift to make sure it was good. I held it for a second and then Emmett helped me ease the bar back onto the rack. I had done the lift with my back completely flat on the bench and my feet flat on the floor – none of that arching crap a lot of guys did to boost their bench number. This was a clean lift, and the adrenaline was still pumping through my body like the feeling of stripping off the clothes off a new chick for the first time.

"Fucking awesome job, playa'!" Emmett said while taking down the weights already. "Keep this up, and you'll be taking on all the Lattanzi brothers by yourself. You won't need Jazz's services anymore!"

I was so pumped! I forgot that I was in a public place as I said, loudly, "Damn! Lifting that much weight makes my dick hard! I'm gonna have to get me some tonight!" One guy, around the free weight area, heard me over his iPod, and said, "Right on dude!" As he gave me the "thumbs up" sign, our male bonding moment was interrupted by the revulsion of a matronly woman in her fifties. She had been standing behind the bench and made sure to give both my new friend and I biting looks of condescension and disgust. I smiled at her and said, "Oh sorry. I didn't see you standing there." She looked at me with such profound self-righteousness, I thought, _"A nice lay would do you a world of good, but hell would freeze over before I'd touch you. I mean, holy shit, I've screwed some skanks when I was drunk, but I'd have to be shitfaced to lay a hand on that!"_ I laughed as these thoughts were going through my head which made it worse.

She snarled, "You disgusting pig." Then she stormed off to the other side of the gym with the cardio machines. Oh well, she needed some cardio anyway.

Emmett was already walking over to the lateral pull down machine that was over in the corner. No one was near this section so I gathered he wanted to talk business now. He threw a towel over his shoulder and looked back our way. "Okay, guys, we got to talk about the shipment coming in from Columbia on Thursday. Is our contact guy still on board with the original plan? No second thoughts, right?" I came back down to earth after my big lift and humorous confrontation with the old maid.

Jazz sat down first on the machine and started adjusting the weight. "Everything's a go. I talked to our guy at Port of Miami, and we've got everything all set up. The coke is coming through Dock 12 disguised in hidden compartments, and the heroin is mixed in with legitimate goods," Jazz said through heavy breaths. He looked around and spoke in a lesser voice, "from there, our cars will be waiting to transport the goods to Canada. We've got about two dozen cars so far. I think that will be enough for the kilos that will be coming in off the ship."

"Awesome," Emmett said as he watched Jazz get up from the machine, and he sat down to take his turn. "Sounds like you have everything under control. Just make sure and let our drivers know the exact route I want them to take. I don't want them to deviate from that. I've got the maps all drawn up and ready to go in the glove compartments. They're mostly back roads and tell them to strictly adhere to all road signs and speed limits."

Emmett was the bomb - Mr. Badass. He had bigger arms than Arnie did in his prime. Well, maybe not, but he was at least in the young Arnie's league. Emmett was not a seven time Mr. Olympia like Arnold was, but just from a pure physique standpoint, he could hold his own against the young Arnie or any top bodybuilder of today. He was 6' 5" tall and 285 pounds of shredded stud. He had the strength of Mariusz Pudzianowski as well – the greatest "strongman" in the world. This fucking guy could probably hammer a nail into a piece of wood with his elbow. He actually knew how to fight as well. He was a fantastic striker, with knockout power in both hands and feet, and was also a Brazilian Jiu Jitstu black belt. So if the fight went to ground, somebody was either going to be choked out or have one of their limbs broken or dislocated.

Emmett made his way off the machine and turned toward me while tying his shoe. The guy just did a set of twelve, 250 pound pull - downs and wasn't even breaking a sweat yet. "Edward, I'm going to need you to sign some papers for C&M. We've got a possible new client coming in next Monday and they wanted some estimates on those 2012 Aston Martins. They also might wanna buy some classic ones too."

I glanced up at the clock, and it was after 5:00 pm. I knew Em was going to have to get back to the office soon. The guy was a beast – he worked six days a week and even seven sometimes. He really needed a life. "What color do they want? They only have sixteen to choose from," I said sarcastically. They could have more than that if they wanted to pay extra.

"I'll have to double check with Marie; she actually set the meeting up. Man, that girl is a go-getter. First week on the job and she has a possible million dollar client," Emmett said while we were all walking towards the locker room. We walked in and sat down on the bench taking off our shoes.

"You guys up for the steam room today? I could use it after that workout!" exclaimed Jasper as he began shedding his clothes.

I opened my locker looking for my towel. "Sounds good. Em, you got anything pressing at the office you need to get to?"

Emmett stood up and opened the locker, taking out his cell phone. "Nah, I just have to go over next week's sales figures and then give them to Rosie on Monday. I'm going to have her and Marie run the next department meeting so they can get used to it. Just trying to cut the apron strings so to speak." Emmett chuckled. He glanced at his phone as if he was looking for something. "Edward, you really need to meet this woman. She'd bust your balls before you had a chance to sit down buddy, and damn, does she have a fine set of legs on her! I've already caught half the men in the office staring at her with their mouths half open. She's going to make one helluva asset to our team."

"As long as she's bringing in the green, I'm good. I have to admit I'm pretty impressed she's getting a client in already. I would've thought it was going to take her awhile to get acclimated in the job. Has she been through Wilkins' files and everything?" I stood up and wrapped my towel around me. I was looking forward to sitting in this steam room. There wasn't anything better than that after a great work out.

Jazz, Emmett and I opened the door to the steam room and walked in. Steam came rolling out and engulfed us so we almost couldn't see each other. "Dude, does she have a girlfriend? If she's that hot, she's got to have a hot friend too." Jazz needed some action. Things had ended badly with him and his last girlfriend, so he was in need of a good lay. Hell, who was I kidding? I was in need of a good lay too. It'd been two days for me, and I really needed it now especially after that workout.

"Not sure, man. I don't think she knows anyone here in Miami," Emmett blew out a deep breath and put his arms up over his head, stretching. "I know that she, Rosie and Alice went out the other night though. Whew, the three of them all out together, I can only imagine the stares they got. I'm getting hard just thinking about it."

"How come I've never met Rosie or Alice, Em," Jazz said. "I mean, I hear about them all the time, but I've never been introduced. By the way, you ever gonna ask Rosie out or are you just going to pine over her forever?" Jazz had balls the size of Texas. He was right though, anyone could tell Emmett had the hots for Rosie, but the guy clammed up anytime she was around. I think he was making progress though.

"Dude, I'm getting there. It's hard to have a work relationship, especially when I co-own the damn company. It's like I'm setting a bad precedent. I think she wants me too. We just got to figure out how we're going to go about it."

"What about you, Eddie? Got any new piece of ass lately? Or are you still stringing along Daddy Warbucks niece?" Jazz said with a chuckle.

"Real funny, asshole. That same Daddy Warbucks helps pay your rent, dickhead, and besides she's a good lay. Whenever I want some, all I have to do is speed dial '69' on my cell phone. It takes her all of 23 minutes to get to my house." I knew that because I timed her on occasion, being the OCD person that I am.

"Well, Mr. 69, I hope you have a real nice present for 'Annie', oops, I mean Tanya because you know what tomorrow is, right?" Emmett said as he was getting up to walk around the room.

"Uh, no, should I know what tomorrow is? Is it Groundhog Day or something?" I replied in my usual sarcastic manner.

"Dude, tomorrow is Valentine's Day and you know what that means? " Jazz asked.

"Shit, it's Tanya's birthday too!" I screamed. I NEVER got anything for a woman on Valentine's Day; they would think I cared about them and that was never the case. I had too much going for me at the moment, and I just didn't have time for a full time relationship.

Damn, damn, damn. She would really cut me off if I forgot her birthday again. I remembered last year; I didn't get any for two months straight from her. Not that it really mattered, but keeping my main supplier's niece happy had its benefits. We got first dibs on everything he brought in from the Bahamas and Colombia. Good old Eleazar was someone we really didn't want to piss off, and if I had known who Tanya was related to when I first started banging her, I probably wouldn't have given her a second glance. Now, I was kind of afraid to cut her off completely even though she knew our situation.

"Great, like I have a lot of time to go out and buy anything this late in the day. Any suggestions, guys?" I couldn't wait to hear what they'd come up with.

"Hmm…good looking chick who's a good lay, but no way near a keeper…possible stalker tendencies, has anger issues, clingy, and a uncle who could kill you at a moment's notice? I'd say a one way ticket to Siberia." Jazz laughed his ass off like he said something funny.

It was suddenly getting a lot hotter in here. "Seriously guys, I gotta run. Guess I have to go out now and try to find leech-woman something."

"I got to get back to work anyway," Emmett said as he rose up and tucked his towel in around his waist. "I do have one idea, Eddie. I saw a lingerie catalog on Alice's desk the other day. Couldn't help but snoop through it. Seeing all that satin and lace on those gorgeous women really had an impact on my brain."

"I bet it had an impact on your brain. Which brain would that be, Em?" l said, laughing hysterically.

Emmett turned around and slapped me on the back of my head. "You asked for suggestions, I was just giving you one. By the way, it's called Agent something or other."

"Agent Provocateur," Jazz said nonchalantly. Emmett and I just looked at him quizzically.

"What? Just because I don't have a steady girlfriend doesn't mean I don't know where they buy their undies. Carmen used to shop there. By the way, it's off Collins Ave. in that mall next to the Ford dealership." Jazz grabbed his razor and walked over to the sink.

I threw off my towel and grabbed my toiletries for the shower. "Why, thanks, Jazz-man. And to think I only thought you were useful for violent purposes. What was I thinking?"

After Jazz and Em left and I was done with my shower, I threw on my Armani slacks and pale blue button down. I never went too casual even though I didn't have an actual office to go to. I always liked to look professional and besides, I had an image to uphold. I left the gym and headed for this "Agent Provocateur". It actually sounded like a place I'd like to frequent. I would go in, grab her some lingerie and we'd both benefit from it. Smart idea, Emmett. Who knew the big lug had it in him?

It was another beautiful sunny day in southern Florida and was especially warm for February. The sun was getting ready to set when I pulled my car-of-the-week Mercedes Benz SLS AMG in the parking lot outside the mall area. It was so nice to own your own exotic car dealership. I could go pick out any car I wanted, and today looked like another typical show-off day. The car was worth $200 G's, went 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, and could get me any chick I wanted. As I got out of the car, the doors flew up above my head which was always an attention getter, and I managed to get a close parking spot which was always nice. It just happened to be a corner one too, so no one would scratch this baby.

I never visited the dealership; one of the little schleps working the floors always drove whichever car I decided upon over to my beach house for me. I never felt the need to go in to the office and besides, I really wasn't a corporate desk kind of guy. Emmett was more cut out to push paperwork than me. I helped make major decisions, of course, but I liked to go out in public, do the meet and greet and help deliver the vehicles. That way I got to go out and schmooze with the clients after the deal was closed. Maintaining the relationships so we could get repeat business is crucial to this line of work.

I guess now Bella was the one to close those deals at the office. It really was impressive how she managed to pull in a possible client so quickly, because that was no easy task. If this woman was as hot as Emmett says she was, I would be curious to see how well she could handle the job. Usually, really hot women were a distraction in the workplace and they had to work harder to prove their worth. They got a lot of business on looks alone which, in this business, was half the battle. But according to Emmett, her resume was flawless and her references were impeccable. She graduated top of her class, and was always the top salesperson at her previous employers. She must be doing something right so I was glad I consulted with Emmett when he called me about her a few weeks ago. It looks like we had made the right decision!

I walked in the big glass doors of the lingerie store and was greeted by a cute little number. I wondered silently if she was wearing the lingerie underneath. _Hmmm._

"Hello, sir, could I help you look for something?" she said while looking me over. I got that a lot; I knew I was pretty good looking and garnered quite a bit of stares. I just got used to it.

"I'd just like to take a look around, if that's okay." Should I say I was looking for something for a girlfriend? Nah, this girl was kind of hot and I might need to get her number later, so I would hold off for now.

"Help yourself. If you need anything, my name is Bree." The girl walked back and glanced at me again over her shoulder. I winked at her and started toward the back of the store.

Wow, this place was nice. I bet the lingerie cost quite a bit. Not that I didn't have the money to pay for it, but it could set the average person back quite a few bucks just to have the stuff ripped off of you in a quick minute! The floors were black wood and had beautiful antique chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. They also had a few nice leather couches situated around the room; I guess for the men to wait on their significant others while they tried stuff on. Speaking of which, I wondered if they have any women here that could model some lingerie for me. Might be worth asking….

I walked around the store for awhile trying to find the right thing. Tanya wasn't exactly picky with her underwear, but she did wear some sexy stuff. She didn't wear anything as sexy as this stuff though. They had some pretty hot panties and bras in here I have to admit. _Mental fist bump to Emmett!_ I saw a sexy bra and panty outfit that I thought would look pretty hot on her, but I wanted it in black. Looking around the store for a few minutes, I gave up and decided to ask the cute little brunette employee for some help. Sure enough, she wasn't too far away from me.

"Excuse me, Bree, but do you have this in black?" I said holding up the set to her.

"I believe we do. Follow me this way, please," she said over her shoulder.

She led me over to the left side of the store near the dressing rooms. She bent over and was pulling out some drawers to find the right color. As I was standing there waiting on her, I backed up to lean on the doorway near the wall. Realizing that I was right next to the dressing room, I couldn't help myself. I quickly looked down and saw the girl still rummaging through the drawers. Being the total perv that I am, I turned my head around the corner to steal a glimpse of some hot chicks. Hmm, no luck. Damn it!

"Here we go; I finally found the black set. What size did you need it in?" Bree asked as she showed it to me.

"Um, I have no idea." Great, Edward you came in to buy lingerie only to not have any idea what size she wears.

Bree just smiled a little bit. I think she was used to this kind of answer from men.

"Well, can you describe her to me? How tall is she, how big around, are her breasts on the larger side or smaller?"

"She's about this big around her waist," I said as I held up my hands in a stretched circle, "and her tits are about a handful. Her height is 5'8 and she never says how much she weighs. If I were to guess I'd say about 125 pounds."

"Okkaayy," Bree said, "how about this bra size?" She picked up the bra off the hanger so fast that it went flying into the women's dressing room. Being the total gentleman that I am, I ran after it. As I was bending down to pick it up halfway down the dressing room hallway, a door swung out and knocked me flat on my ass.

"What the hell?" I screamed as I looked up to see the most beautiful goddess in front of me in black heels, garter belt, thigh highs, bra and panties, all in blue lace I might add.

"Oh my gosh, I am SO sorry!" exclaimed the beautiful creature as her hand flew toward her mouth. Holy shit. Leaning down to help me up, she lost her footing after slipping on the bra I had been picking up and fell right on top of me. I swear if this didn't actually happen, I would think someone was filming me for Punk'd or something. This kind of thing only happened in the movies.

She was lying across my lap and her gorgeous ass was staring right at me. The panties just barely covered her ass and I couldn't form one coherent thought. I tried to speak but nothing came out.

"Are you okay? I really didn't mean to hit you with that door, and then I just slipped on something. I can't believe I just did that. I am so embarrassed!" she spoke quickly as she was climbing off of me. Her arm grazed my crotch and I could feel myself getting hard. _Geez, calm down there little Eddie._

I slowly gained composure and began to pick myself up off the floor. I was still mesmerized by this woman. She had the most beautiful, long brown hair and big chocolate eyes. Her body was to die for, and damn if I didn't hit the jackpot of seeing her in the hottest lingerie I'd ever laid eyes on!

Words finally came out of my mouth. "It's no problem, miss. It was my fault. I shouldn't have been in here to begin with, but I dropped something." I bent down again to pick up the black bra, strategically positioning it in front of me. Turning around as I picked it up, Bree, obviously seeing the whole thing go down, just stood there with her hands on her hips.

"Sir, you're going to have to get out of the women's dressing room," she said, blowing out a breath.

"Sure, just one minute. I want to make sure the lady is all right," I exclaimed not wanting to pass up getting this woman's name.

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you. Just my ego is bruised!" she said as her face flushed a light red. "It's not every day I fall on a guy in my underwear – at least not intentionally!" She laughed the most beautiful laugh I'd ever heard. Her smile could light up a room and I found myself entranced by her. _Get a grip, Edward!_

"Well, again, I apologize for being in here, Ma'am. I really don't make a point to stalk out women in lingerie store dressing rooms." Okay, she didn't have to know I was just sticking my head in here earlier… "Please forgive me again, Ma'am."

"No need to apologize after I just fell on you. And please don't call me Ma'am. You're making me feel like my mother. My name is Bella," she said as she took her hand out to shake mine. I brought my hand out to meet hers and as soon as we touched, I felt a shock run up my arm. Whoa, what was that?

"Nice to meet you, Bella. I'm Edward, Edward…" Shit. What if she had heard of me before? I didn't want her to think I was some egotistical CEO who was a filthy rich asshole. Besides, I didn't like to answer lots of questions about our company.

"Anthony. Edward Anthony." I'd just give her my middle name. Wow, she had one hell of a strong handshake. She must be in a corporate job or lifts weights.

"Well, Edward Anthony, it certainly is an interesting way to meet someone, I'll have to say," she said, blushing again while crossing her arms in front of her to cover up her half-naked body.

"Ahem," coughed Bree staring a hole through us. "Sir, you really need to leave the women's dressing room."

If looks could kill, Bree would've had me falling down dead right then and there.

"Right, sorry. I'll just grab my item." I couldn't leave without getting her number. I was just wondering how to approach asking her for it when my cell phone rang. Dammit. It was Jasper's ringtone so I knew something was up. He never just randomly called me unless something was up.

Bree continued to stare a hole through me, and I knew I wasn't going to get away with taking this phone call here in the women's dressing room. I looked at Bella apologetically and gave her a wave with my hand. She smiled and ducked back into her dressing room.

I pushed the button on my phone. "Man, you have great timing, you know that? This better be good."

Jazz huffed into the phone. "Have you been listening to the news? We've got some trouble brewing Edward and it doesn't look good. We need to call an emergency meeting with Emmett and Eleazar. Shit is about to hit the fan and we're right in the middle of all of it."

Breathing out a sigh of frustration, I headed out of the lingerie store, but not before I purchased the exact panty set my lingerie girl, Bella had on – in blue.


	7. Chapter 7

Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just own this story, not the characters.

All Human. Pairings do not start out how they will end. Bella x Edward eventually.

Rated M for language, illegal activity, sex and violence.

**Chapter 7**** – Complex in the Sky**

**Bella POV**

Ok, what the hell just happened? I had fallen on the most gorgeous man in existence - in the sexiest lingerie I'd ever worn in my entire life− right in the middle of a lingerie store's dressing room. Holy. Hell. When Alice had asked me to go shopping today, I had no idea I'd end up in a sexy lingerie store. Then again, it was probably my fault that we ended up there. I accidentally mentioned to her that Renee had told me to go buy some power panties to feel more feminine and alive so she jumped on the chance to take me to Agent Provocateur. I had never even heard of the place and the next thing I knew, I was in heels, thigh highs, bra, panties, you name it. Damn, it was like playing dress up as a kid, but in this case I felt like an expensive hooker ready to go to the highest bidder. I had to admit, I didn't look too bad in this get-up. From my martial arts training and weekly yoga workouts, I'd kept my body toned and tight – like a world-class female athlete. Training was part of my job description, one couldn't go chasing hardened criminals, fighting armed men with flabby arms and fat thighs that rub together when you run.

Alice remembered she had to go and buy a christening gift for her neighbor's new baby, so she went next door to an engraving store to buy a silver rattle. I had already tried on three different colors and styles of these ensembles and was running short on patience. She talked me into this particular one, saying that from the look of it on the hanger it would knock some guy on his ass if he saw it on me. Ha! Little did she know how literal that statement would actually be. I mean, who would have thought the second I opened the dressing room door I would have knocked some person on the floor - and that actual person just happened to be a man – in a women's fitting room of all places! How did he get in there anyway? The whole situation was really hysterical.

But what struck me most about the ridiculousness of the whole thing was the actual person I ran into – I mean, he was beautiful! He obviously had money if he was shopping in this place, but the clothes that he wore were definitely designer wear. And he smelled wonderful! I'd definitely had men on the ground in front of me before due to me either kicking their ass with a roundhouse kick or sticking a gun in their face after I caught them doing something illegal. That was nothing new, but I can honestly say THAT situation had never happened before. If that wasn't bad enough, there I was, going to help the poor guy up, and I slipped on a bra that was lying in the middle of the dressing room hallway. Wearing those damn heels didn't help matters either. I was way out of my league in heels and when Alice talked me into buying them at one of the other stores; she insisted I wear them while I tried on the lingerie. So, there I was, lying across this guy's lap with half my ass out right in front of his face and I could just feel my skin getting hotter and hotter. I wasn't sure if I was embarrassed from the fall or just the touch of the man and his hot body that made me feel that way. It could have been both because I was definitely embarrassed, but also completely turned on to have fallen on such a gorgeous creature.

Even though I wanted to stay on Pretty Boy's lap for awhile, I knew I couldn't do that without it seeming a little weird to him, so after I apologized profusely, I stood up but not without grazing his crotch first. As if I couldn't have done anything more humiliating!

"It's no problem, ma'am. It was my fault. I shouldn't have been in here to begin with but I dropped something." Ooh, Pretty Boy had such a velvety voice too.

After I had gotten up and straightened what little material I had on my body, I noticed a pretty perturbed saleslady standing at the entrance of the dressing room. Her arms were on her hips and her foot tapped the floor impatiently. Obviously, the man's presence was not encouraged and she was waiting for him to hightail it out of there. He noticed her impatience and mentioned to her that he would be leaving, but not before he made sure if I was fine.

"Well, again, I apologize for being in here, ma'am. I really don't make a point to stalk out women in lingerie dressing rooms," he said, while he chuckled. I couldn't be certain, but he looked like he was blushing.

"No need to apologize after I just fell on you. And please don't call me ma'am. You're making me feel quite old. My name is Bella," I said as I held my hand out for him to shake. Whoa…major tingles just overtook my body. _That was interesting. _I gave Pretty Boy my real name instead of my alias. He couldn't Google Bella Swan and discover I was an FBI agent; the FBI took really good care of covering up all their employees' identities. I just didn't want to go by Marie Dwyer, on the rare occasion he might ask for my phone number, because I wanted to be myself for a change. Not to mention the fact that I hadn't been laid in forever!

After I heard that his name was Edward Anthony, I suspected that he was like one of those celebrity types, the ones that had two first names just to sound cool and hip. He sure looked like a celebrity with all that bronze spiky hair, green sparkly eyes, and square jaw. Damn, he was tall too, probably about 6'2 or so. But he didn't strike me as that type; he seemed intelligent and worldly, but also looked like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He must have had a stressful job. Maybe he was a stockbroker…those guys have stress written all over them. Having people rely on you to make sure your money gets in the right place at the right time can be worrisome. Or maybe he was an oncologist, having to diagnose fatal illnesses all day. That would be horrible having to tell people you only have a short time to live. Hmmm, or maybe I was just wrong on all counts…he probably didn't do anything like those jobs.

Suddenly, the theme to Mission Impossible had broken me from my thoughts of Edward Anthony's career track. I frantically looked around for my phone and remembered I practically had no clothes on, so it wasn't going to be too near to my body. As I turned toward my dressing room to open the door and grab my phone, I saw Pretty Boy grabbing at his pants pockets for something. That was strange. Then, in a split second, he pulled his phone out and was walking out of the dressing room, waving at me as he turned around to leave the store.

All of a sudden, the phone stopped ringing. Could Pretty Boy have the same ring tone as ME? Holy shit. It couldn't get any better than that! First I get the tingles and then the Mission Impossible theme? Could he be a cop? Nah, I'd have noticed that right off the bat. And he left - without me getting to find out more about him, where he lived, what he did for a living, was he here visiting…? Dammit! I couldn't have gone out and chased him out of the store in the middle of Miami in my underwear.

I needed to shed what little clothes I had on and get back to the apartment. Alice was surely on her way back by now and I had things I had to do. I sure hope she was done shopping for the day. About that time, another Mission Impossible theme started up again. Except this time, the music was a little closer to me. Now I _knew_ it was mine this time. Charlie had been the honoree of having the mysterious ringtone because I thought it was fitting with our job. _Me being the undercover spy that I am and all…_

I went into my dressing room and found my phone down in my purse buried under everything else in there. I knew this must be urgent because Charlie never called me other than our assigned hours of communication.

"Hey, Dad what's up?" I asked in my lowest tone of voice. I cracked open the door to make sure Alice wasn't going to sneak in on me. It would be disastrous at this stage of the game if she found out my cover.

"Bella, have you been watching the news? There's some major shit going down right now. MPD has busted a major drug syndicate down there and right before the bust, they heard gunshots in the warehouse. Andy and Mario Salvatore were found dead with one gunshot between their eyes sitting behind the wheels of… hold on a minute…"

I heard Charlie ruffling some papers around in the background. "Here it is. Two brand spanking new Bentley Continental Supersports. Does that ring a bell to you? I've never heard of that kind of car before but it sounds expensive. And where do you suppose someone down there can obtain a car like that?"

"Oh Jesus…" I muttered into the phone. I knew exactly where those cars were purchased. I remembered looking at some papers across my desk a couple days ago for the sale of two black Bentley Continental Supersports. There was no name on the sales slip either; it just said they were purchased by an auction house in Miami. Charlie knew where they were purchased too. He didn't have to ask.

"Okay, Dad. What did they find in these cars and did they catch the guys who shot them?" I was already dressed by this point and scurried out of the dressing room, handing the sales associate the lingerie I didn't choose. There was no sign of Alice yet, which was good.

I made my way up to the counter to pay for the items I did want. Maybe Mom was right; I did need some power panties to keep up my confidence. And maybe, just maybe, one of these days I would get lucky and have someone actually see me in them. Pretty Boy flashed in my head all of a sudden. What was that about? I just met the man for all of two minutes and already he had made an impression on my subconscious.

"Well, when MPD busted down the doors, they heard footsteps running out the back. Three cops chased after them, but couldn't catch up, however, they did find two other guys hiding in the corners of the warehouse. They were two of Franchetti's men. They're not talking from what I hear, but they obviously suspect that one of them was the shooter. Specifically, Johnny Franchetti. He had gun residue all over his right hand."

I made my purchase and headed towards a corner of the store. If Alice did come back soon, she couldn't see me from this section. "And what was found in the car, Charlie?"

"I'm getting to that, Bella. According to my sources, there was over $1 million worth of heroin and coke stashed in the lining and rims of the tires of both cars. Hopefully, we'll know soon enough where it was headed and who it was for. But what is mindboggling to me is why there are two guys dead in that car. Why would the Franchetti's want to kill the Salvatore brothers? The last I heard, they were all getting along and working together. This smells like a setup, Bells. I don't think the Franchetti's knew that Andy and Mario were in those cars. I believe someone tipped them off that there was a rival mob family driving them, so as soon as the cars were driven in the warehouse, Johnny took them out not knowing who was actually behind the wheel. That way, the Franchetti's unknowingly eliminated the competition for whoever sent the tip."

"Clever. They got Johnny to kill his own friends and started a feud between two families that had never existed." I started to pace in the store while also keeping an eye out for Alice. Sure enough, she walked by the window and came through the door. "Dad, listen I gotta run. I'll keep in touch and will do further research when I get back to the hotel. Send me all of your reports to my email and make sure to encrypt them please. I can't take the chance of someone hacking into my system."

I hung up from Charlie and got my bags together before I walked over to meet Alice at the front of the store. Wow. I couldn't think too much about what Dad had just told me or else Alice would have asked me all kinds of questions about the concerned look on my face.

"There you are, Bella. So what did you decide on? I can't wait to see what you bought! Did you go with the Roxie Suspender or the Stephanee Waspie? I hope you tried everything on with those heels we bought earlier – you won't get the full effect of the lingerie if not." Alice finally stopped talking to grab a breath. Man, does this girl ever stop?

"Alice. Stop asking questions for one second, okay? Geesh! I bought a couple of them and I know you're not going to see me in them so what difference does it make which one I bought? Now, I hope we're done shopping because there's some things I need to take care of at the hotel." I brushed my hair off my face with my fingers and sighed. That girl was exhausting,

"You're such a party pooper. We've got one more stop and then I'll take your sorry ass back to your hotel room." Alice was relentless to say the least.

Before I knew it, Alice and I were in her car traveling back towards the office in downtown Miami. The sun was setting for the day, and I was getting a little sleepy, probably from all the shopping the little pixie had put me through today. I leaned my head back on the seat rest and turned towards the window, peering out at the tall skinny palm trees lining the street. I had so many thoughts running through my mind; the drug bust that happened last night had my company's name written all over it. The Salvatore's were driving two of our cars and that shit was not acceptable. That meant C&M was definitely involved in some major illegal activities and my job just got a helluva lot more interesting. I was going to have to do some major digging on both of these families and because I could smell a big war brewing in the crime syndicate here and it was not going to be pretty. Someone was trying to eliminate the competition in Miami and wanted to take over the area - that was obvious - but who was it? What will they try next? They already got two friends to kill each other and my guess was they'll stop at nothing to get what they want.

It was such a beautiful, brisk, sunny day for February. Valentine's Day was tomorrow and although I did just buy myself some sexy underwear, I had no one to share it with. I closed my eyes for a short moment letting my mind drift back to Pretty Boy in the dressing room. I assumed since he was in a lingerie store that he already had a girlfriend, but that didn't stop me from daydreaming about him. I wondered if I'd ever see him again, those green eyes piercing me showing me I had his full attention. Those beautiful lips slightly parted, displaying that he wants to let me know he wants to kiss me, only me. His long fingers aching to touch me, and they do as he puts them on my hips. We come together closer now, our bodies touching ever so slightly as I feel that ever present tingling sensation as he caresses my body all over. The back of his large hands move from my hips toward the center of stomach where he gently rubs up and down my rib cage, teasing me as they go over my belly button and stop at the edge of my Agent Provocateur panties. I gasp slightly, knowing that I would love nothing more than him to just take me here in the dressing room but afraid someone might hear us. One hand makes its way up to my neck and as he holds tightly on to me, he bends down, his parted lips making their way slowly close to mine. I can feel how turned on he's getting as our bodies are now fully touching, his hardness brushing up against my stomach, and I can feel the heat in my lower regions burning with desire. I take my hands to feel him through his pants…

"Are you listening to a word I say, Marie?" Alice shook me and looked over in my direction as she turned into a high rise apartment complex. Shit. It was only a dream. Figures. The only action I get lately and somebody had to go and rouse me up from it. Can't a girl catch a break?

"Sorry, Alice I must've dozed off for a minute. So, this is a beautiful complex, who lives here?" I glanced up and saw about a sixty-story high rise staring me in the face.

"Hopefully _you_ will once you go in and take a look." Alice got the biggest smile on her face as she pulled into a parking space near the front door. She put the car in park and turned toward me all perky-like.

"Well, don't just sit there. Aren't you dying to go in and take a look at it? I gave those brochures to you last week, and I don't know if you got a chance to look through them or not, but since I didn't hear anything from you, I took it upon myself to bring you here. Our Human Resources Director said it was one of the more popular condos in downtown Miami. We are only seven minutes from the office and just wait until you see the views! Sunrise views of Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach and the Atlantic Ocean, Marie! The sunset views are of the downtown Miami lights. It's breathtaking! They have lap pools and regular pools, sand volleyball, cabanas, fitness center with showers, and I could go on and on but you need to get your butt in there to see it. I have C&M's realtor waiting in the lobby for you to show you around."

"Uh…wow. I've been so busy that I haven't even had time to look through the brochures and maps you gave me. I'm not so sure about this. It all looks pretty fancy to me and I'm a pretty simple girl, Alice. But, since you went to all this trouble to have the realtor here to meet me, I can't say no. Let's go!" I didn't want to hurt Alice's feelings but this looked a little too pretentious for my taste. However, I did need a place to stay; the hotel room was getting a little cramped, and I would like to get settled in to a stable environment. I was going to need one for this assignment.

Alice jumped out of the car and raced over to get me, grabbing my arm and practically running us into the lobby of the monstrous condo building. Before I knew it, we were in the elevator, going up to the 33rd floor to see an available condo for rent.

Linda, our realtor, showed us off the elevator and walked down the brightly lit hallway. She took out her set of keys and began talking non-stop, almost as fast as Alice does, oddly enough.

"Marie, you are going to love this unit. The previous tenant kept it immaculate and had no pets or children running around in it." She jingled her keys around until she finally found the right one to put in the lock. "It's got wall to wall tile, a master bedroom to die for, it's very contemporary and a killer view out of the living room area. The walls are white, but I've asked the owner if you can paint them and he said yes, that it was fine with him. It is a little on the big side and before you tell me you are only one person, Alice told me you might be doing some entertaining here. If that's the case, you're going to need wide open spaces for your guests to mingle around."

Linda finally got the door open and kept her mouth shut so I could slowly process all of the information she just blurted out. She didn't need to say much of anything else however, because everything she just said was completely true. It was breathtaking! The condo was quite huge with a sunken living room big enough for some overstuffed furniture and the upper level wrapped around which made lots of room for guests. I wasn't sure about the entertaining part, but if it got me closer to finding out some good secrets about my company, it'd be worth it.

I walked in and ventured over to the glass sliding doors that looked out to the stunning views of the bay and ocean. Alice wasn't kidding when she said the views were spectacular! I could just stand right there all day long and stare out at the crystal blue water, watching boats sailing by and putting my mind in a far away peaceful place. I made my way over to the kitchen which was furnished with stainless steel top-of-the-line appliances. It also had a small island in the middle with a pot and pan rack over it and tons of cabinet space with the most beautiful cabinetry work I'd ever seen. While I began touching my fingers over the appliances and opening them up to look inside, Alice was all up in my business, wanting to know exactly what I thought about the place.

"So, Marie, whatcha think? Was I right? Do I know how to call them or what?"

"You're so right, Alice. It's unbelievable. I can't imagine what something like this cost though." I could imagine because I had pictures of many zeroes flashing through my mind.

"Don't worry about the cost just yet, Marie. Let's just see how you like the rest of the place before you change your mind." On that note, Linda pulled me over to the right side of the living area where there was a large staircase going up to the second floor.

We reached the top of the staircase and ventured down to the end room of the hallway. Linda opened up the door to one of the biggest master bedrooms I think I've ever seen. Hell, my old apartment wasn't this big back in Washington! Walking slowly in the room, I took in all its glory, the built-in bookshelves, the window nook overlooking yet again another gorgeous view of the Atlantic and the beautiful tile floors. The master bath was just as exquisite with a sunken in tub and shower that could fit a softball team as well as six shower heads coming out from three sides of the walls.

"Okay, Linda, I'm sold. I could sit here and make a pros and cons list, but there really is no need. I have about 25 pros in my head and there haven't been any negatives, unless you count me spending way too much time in that shower and expecting my sorry ass to be late to work every day because of it!" Alice was elated and started clapping her hands profusely.

"I knew it had your name written all over it when I saw it online the other day. It fits your personality to a tee! You only have a few minutes' drive and all the conveniences you need are just around the corner. Not to mention I'm sure there's tons of gorgeous single men here too!" I gave Alice a hug and thanked her because I really didn't have any time at all to go out looking for an apartment with everything that was going on..

I really needed to get back to the hotel and start delving into this latest mess of a bust, so I told Linda to draw up the paperwork and send the contract over to the office on Monday. I grabbed Alice and told her I had some C&M work to review so we hightailed it out of there and headed back for my room.

"Alice, I can't thank you enough. You have saved me so much time and energy. I don't know what I'd do without you." I gave her hand a tight squeeze and I slightly regretted getting closer to her, knowing where this investigation with C&M could lead. But, I couldn't think about that plus I wouldn't blur the lines with friends and my professional life. I've got too much riding on this.


	8. Chapter 8

**MY Sincerest Apologies! – My Find/Replace didn't work properly and Aro/Eleazar did not get replaced correctly, hence the re-posting. Thanks for keeping up with me though and hopefully it is completely corrected this time!**

Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just own this story, not the characters.

All Human. Pairings do not start out how they will end. Bella x Edward eventually.

Rated M for language, illegal activity, sex and violence.

**Chapter 8 – ****In My Dreams**

**EPOV**

Shit, shit, shit. Someone was trying to take over our territory. After Jazz talked with me last night about all the shit that went down at the warehouse, I felt pure exhaustion overtake me. I took off my shoes at the door, as usual, and flipped on the switch so I could see where the hell I was going and just flopped myself onto the couch. Motherfuckers. Who in the hell did they think they were anyway? We had a lot of decisions to make now, the first one being who just royally fucked us over. The Salvatore's were our best guys, and we never would have sent them out for a job if there was any hint of danger in the air. Man, we had some primo, top-of-the-line shit in that car too, and it all just went to the MPD. Fuck!

I got up from the couch and just started pacing back and forth. Think, Edward. Who was putting the screws to our operation? The Franchetti's must be shitting their pants right about now, knowing they just shot and killed not only their friends, but also just made a new set of enemies at the same time. After grabbing a beer from the fridge, I walked back through the living room and opened the sliding glass door. The ocean air was brisk and it calmed me like it always had, and if there was ever any need to be relaxed, it was right now because I was ready to go and blow somebody's head off.

Whoever was behind this plan was pretty fucking clever to get one family to take out another and lessen the competition in a blink of an eye. They also had to know the inside details to know the meeting place which means I had a damn mole working for me. Either that, or someone was watching my ass pretty damn close without me knowing it. I'd definitely be stepping up security around here. The cameras were all around the house and the front gate area too, not to mention the ones hidden in the interior of every nook and cranny of this beach house. Emmett and Jazz were like mini James Bonds and I knew nothing was going to get by them again.

The sound of the waves crashing and just the peacefulness of feeling the cool wind in my face was settling me down more now. After throwing back most of the beer, I sat down in the lounge chair and reclined as I collected my thoughts on this disastrous night. Closing my eyes, my mind started to think about which one of my men betrayed me. Maybe it was Benny, our guy down at the warehouse that got us clearance that night. Hmm, then again I highly doubt it could've been him because he didn't know the Salvatores and even if he did, he didn't know we were using those two to drive the cars. His dad had worked with Emmett and the trust factor was there through family history. I knew it wasn't Mickey who took the drugs and lined it in the cars because he'd been working with me for years and could have turned us in numerous times before now. He also desperately needed the money and we paid him extremely well to keep his mouth shut. His wife had some disabling disease and his medical bills were off the charts so no way was he getting rid of this side job. My eyes started burning, and I tried to will myself to sleep because I was going to go insane at this point trying to pinpoint our traitor when I couldn't even think straight.

Speaking of thinking straight, I acted like a complete idiot earlier before I got that dreaded phone call from Jazz. That beautiful girl who ran straight into me at the lingerie store kept popping into my head. She was the most gorgeous creature I think I'd ever laid eyes on, and that was saying something coming from me - the man who gets big chocolate eyes and hot toned body were on top of me and I was at a loss for words for the first time in my life. She was so warm, and when I reached for her to help her up, the tingling feeling was something I'd never felt before. I can't believe I left there without getting her phone number, but at least I did get a name. I've just got to see that girl again. She didn't have a ring on her finger; I made sure to look. Wait, who am I kidding? Her soft, chestnut hair cascaded down her shoulders, and damn, that lingerie she had on was giving me a hard-on so bad, I had to cover myself with my hands. Geesh! Just visualizing her in it now made my dick twitch. I gotta stop this or I was never going to get any sleep. Maybe I'll just unzip my pants a bit to let little Eddie breathe; he was getting anxious for some reason. Hell, who am I kidding? I was going to have to rub one out before I went to sleep. The pressure and stress of today was too much, and all I had to do was think of _Lingerie Girl,_ and it shouldn't take long at all.

XXXXXXXXX

The next thing I knew the sun was shining in my eyes and it was morning already. I was hoping it was all just a dream and that our stuff did get delivered and things were going smoothly. Fat chance. Man, the recipient of that shipment was going to be calling Emmett any time now and talk about being pissed off! We needed to get our hands on more stuff and set the run back up pronto. Calling Eleazar was the last fucking thing I wanted to do right now because he was going to be furious; it had to be done though because we're the traffickers, the cartel so to speak, and that was why we got paid the big bucks.

Running my hands through my hair, my thoughts went back to the warehouse scenario. Andy and Mario were dead. Those were my two best guys who we trusted and used for most of our night runs. Un-fucking-real. Fucking Johnny Franchetti. Didn't he freakin' look before he shot someone? Jazz said he was tipped off from a very reliable source that our drug run wasn't happening, so when our cars showed up at the warehouse Johnny just figured the car had been jacked and someone else was driving. I was going to have to go down to the station where he was being held and ask him who this fucking reliable source was exactly. Getting up from the chair, my body ached all over and the signs of falling asleep in a lounge chair were very evident right now. As I was limping over to the restroom, I heard a low buzzing sound coming somewhere near the kitchen.

I remembered I had turned my phone onto vibrate at some point last night, and started walking toward the kitchen to retrieve it. I dreaded answering it because I knew it had to be one of two people, neither of which I wanted to talk to at this particular moment. Sure enough, it was one of them. I glanced up at the clock to see what time of day it was and saw that it was going on nine am. Emmett would have been in the office for quite awhile already, so I was sure Jazz has filled him in on everything that went down at the warehouses.

I grabbed the phone on the kitchen counter and opened it up. I had to beat Emmett to the punch before all the screaming started.

"Hey man, I'm sure Jazz filled you in on the bust. I'm working on it as we speak - I was just writing down . . ." I didn't get to finish because Emmett's loud voice started booming through the cell phone.

"What the fuck, Ed? How could you let this happen? Our two best guys are dead and Johnny shot them? Shit, this is bad. Someone in our organization is smoking us out and we got to find out who before this gets any worse. Who could have done this? You better be hiring the right people because if this shit happens again we're going down, bro. Eleazar will not sell to us anymore. We're going to have to find another supplier and that's going to take us awhile. We need credibility, man and…" Emmett stalled just a half a second and that was my queue to break in on his ramblings.

"Calm the fuck down for just a minute, Emmett. I'm on this. _Now's_ the time to test my credibility? Shit man, how long have we been doing this? You know _I've_ been doing this most of my adult life and I know I've got the right people in there. Now, I'm not totally sure what happened but I'm going to get to the bottom of it, rest assured." It was a little too early to start a screaming match, but I knew it was going to start at some point today.

Emmett blew out a big breath. "I know man, I'm sorry. It's just that I was caught so off guard by this. Who could have tipped them off? We need to get to Johnny right away and find out who that call was from. One million dollars gone, just like that." I heard Emmett snap his fingers. "Motherfuckers. Now, where are we going to find another shipment at this short notice? Eleazar's going to shit bricks, I know that."

"Someone's got to call the recipient and let them know what happened. They're going to demand another shipment right away and that's what I'm going to work on now. I've got to call Eleazar, but I've been putting it off. He's going to flip the fuck out." I sighed and walked over to the refrigerator to pull out a gallon of orange juice. It was going to be a long day. About that time, my doorbell started ringing. "Shit Em, I've gotta go. Someone's ringing my doorbell and I have no idea who that could be."

"I know who it is. You better get in a good lay while you can, because once you call Eleazar and tell him what went down, this will be your last tango with that bitch. He's gonna have your head on a platter. You do remember what day it is, right? That's why she's over there bothering you – for one reason only." Emmett was not one to mince words but he did have a point. Eleazar was not going to be happy about this situation and I was sure I'd be busting my ass trying to figure out where to score some major drugs if he couldn't deliver. I actually did have a couple of people in mind. "Did you go and get her a sexy little number by the way?"

"I'll be there in a damned minute, just hold on!" I screamed at the door. God, can't she get a clue for once?

"Fuck. Yeah, I did go and visit the lingerie store yesterday and you're never going to believe what happened in there either. Remind me to tell you later – it's quite the story! I'll keep you posted on what Eleazar says." I put down the orange juice and suddenly my mind wandered to what the hell I did with the lingerie I bought yesterday. Damn, I was so wound up from Hot Sexy Girl in that barely-there lingerie and fuck-hot shoes that I almost forgot why I even went into the store to begin with! Suddenly, I remembered it was still in my car so at least I'd live another day since I didn't forget Tanya's birthday present.

Speaking of Tanya, I made my way over to the front door assuming it was her frantically ringing the damn doorbell. Grabbing the doorknob and unlocking the three bolts I had on it, I shouted at the visitor. "Hold your fucking horses, I'm coming already!" I swung open the door only to find the FedEx guy standing in front of me with furrowed brows and a scowl on his face.

"Sign here, please. I've got things to do today too, so no need to curse at me this early in the morning." Gee, FedEx guy had a stick up his ass.

"If you'd stop ringing my damn doorbell, there wouldn't be any cursing, dickhead." I took the pen, signed on his electronic tablet, grabbed the small Styrofoam package and slammed the door in the asshole's face.

I couldn't remember ordering anything, and I certainly didn't have time to be messing with mail right now. However, something inside of me told me to open the package and see just what the hell was in there. It looked like it was a refrigerated package so maybe someone sent me food; all this stressing out was making me a little hungry this morning. It was taped on all sides and was about the size of a jewelry box but a little taller so to say I was a little curious about its contents was a little understated.

My stomach started growling as I was getting hungry, so I was hoping there was something to eat in this box. Grabbing a pair of scissors out of the drawer so I could open up the package, I began to wonder. It wasn't my birthday today, and I was going to be all kinds of pissed if Tanya had ordered something for herself and had it delivered here thinking she could just use my address. Well, I guess I'll show her – I'll just open up the damn thing and eat whatever it is she ordered for herself. Pushing the scissors into the tape on the side, I ran it down the length of the package and Eleazarund the perimeter. The top of the box was pretty secure so it took a little strength to pop it off, but after a few seconds it started to loosen.

It was thoroughly packed in dry ice, and the coolness hit me immediately as I popped the top off and peered inside the box.

"HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!" I took the box and slammed it down on the table. "That shit can't be real," I whispered out loud to myself as I backed away as fast as I could from the cold package. Inside of that box was someone's hand cupping a set of balls. No blood was Eleazarund it and it was well preserved, just as if someone took significant care cutting off the hand and the ball sack of the poor soul who was the previous owner. Oh shit. Who the hell did that belong to? It couldn't be Emmett, thank God, I just talked to him and as far as I knew, he was clutching his phone with a hand and knowing him, he had his other hand close to his balls. I hadn't talked with Jazz yet today but Emmett had, so it couldn't be his either. What the fuck? Whoever it was doing this to us they were not fucking Eleazarund and were deadly serious about taking our business down. Now, I have taken out quite a few people in my time and everyone knew not to fuck with me, but I can honestly say I'd never cut a guy's balls off before. I needed to make a few phone calls to find out who this could be.

Before I could grab my phone, it started buzzing. After looking Eleazarund for it, I saw it sitting next to the gallon of orange juice. I'd better put that back in the refrigerator because I was certainly not thirsty anymore – or hungry either for that matter. I glanced at the display and saw it was Eleazar; guess I'd better get this over with quick.

"Hello Eleazar." He'd better be compliant with us or we'd just get another supplier; it wouldn't be that easy but I was getting tired of his shit anyway.

"Mason. Is there something you'd like to tell me? Word on the street is that my drugs ended up in MPD's hands last night. Care to enlighten me?" Eleazar wanted to play coy so that was fucking fine with me.

I wanted to be sitting down for this conversation so I headed over to sit outside on the balcony to let the calm waves overtake my raging anger. "You heard right. I'm assuming you also heard my two best guys were taken out and the Franchetti's were to blame. Supposedly, someone tipped them off that the deal was a no-go, so they assumed our cars were jacked because of the neighborhood they were in; when they saw the cars headed toward the warehouse, they assumed they were thugs and took them out before asking questions."

"So just where the fuck do you think they got that stupid information from, huh Mason? I thought everyone involved in that operation knew exactly what to do, and they get a phone call from someone, and suddenly the whole thing is called off just like that? Who is this person anyway and why aren't you out looking for him?" Eleazar's voice was now way above shouting level and I didn't like his tone of voice one bit.

"If you are implying that I have sub-par people working for me, you can stop right there. Everyone is background checked, has a very good history with us, and I know the family bloodline. So just shut the fuck up, and start looking for some more coke for us. I don't have time to deal with you questioning my authority when I have other stuff I need to be taking care of, like finding out who this person is and shooting the motherfucker between the eyes." If Eleazar wanted to fuck with me, bring it on.

Eleazar sighed and brought his voice down a little bit. "Look, Mason, if you think it's going to be a cakewalk for me to just go and find you a million dollars worth of crack and heroin at the drop of a hat, you're kidding yourself. It's going to take some time. You better let your recipient know, and good luck with that because he is not going to be happy, I assure you."

"Yeah, no shit, Eleazar. I've got my work cut out for me, more than you know." I took a glance at the hand and the balls that stared at me as if mocking me to find out who they belonged to, and I had no doubt I'd be finding that information out pretty soon. I really didn't feel the need to tell Eleazar about the little present I'd just received from the pleasant FedEx man.

"One more thing Mason… it's Tanya's birthday and you'd better be nice to her today. I don't know what kind of relationship you two have, but I know she's pretty attached to you for some reason. So if you go and hurt her, you'll have more work cut out for you, if you know what I mean. She's my only niece and I'll not have her crying on my doorstep because of your sorry ass."

Please, give me a fucking break. What the hell do I care about Tanya? The only thing about our situation was that I wouldn't get our drugs in a timely manner so I decided to play along.

"Yeah, yeah. I got it. Listen, I've gotta get going, and you've got a lot of work to do, so keep in touch with me as soon as you hear about getting our stash. I'll stall the recipient and make something up, but I won't be able to halt them for long. If I don't hear anything from you, I'm gonna have to make a few phone calls to see who else can help me out. It's nothing personal, but I can't have this shit hanging over my head. Someone's trying to shut us down, and I can't let anyone else get the upper hand here."

I hung up on him and stood over the balcony railing staring out onto the beach. I saw a couple walking hand-in-hand kissing each other with the wind blowing the woman's hair Eleazarund her head. Immediately, my thoughts went to Lingerie Girl again and I pictured her and I walking on the beach with my hands running through her hair, and then putting it behind her ears. Her perky breasts would be peeking out of her bikini top, and her ass would be looking so hot in her string bikini bottoms_. What the hell was wrong with me?_ I met this girl for all of five minutes and now I kept thinking about her. I needed to get laid. Really bad. Well, it was Tanya's birthday and no time like the present. It would definitely give me something to keep my mind off of for at least twenty minutes. That was about all the time I could spend with her before she drove me totally insane, but I sure needed the stress relief.

I picked up the phone and dialed her number. It rang all of two times before she answered it. Yeah, she's anxious and horny too.

"Hiya, lover boy. I wondered if you were going to call me today. Did ya miss me?" Tanya spoke in her low sing-song voice, which she thought was lustful, but I thought was childish.

"Hey, Tanya. Happy Birthday, I didn't forget this year." I guess I'd better play nice a little bit or I wouldn't be getting any today−at least not from her.

"What a wonder for small miracles! Did you ring me for a booty call, or do I get to spend my birthday with you so you can lavish me with nice gifts and a dinner?" Geesh. She never let up, and just when I thought I could get a quickie out of this situation, she went and threw a wrench in my plans.

"Um, well, I do have a birthday gift for you, and I was hoping you might be able to come over and model it for me. I don't know about dinner because there's some business I need to attend to later, and I'm not sure how long it's going to take me." I had walked in to the house by now, and threw a glance over my shoulder at the box just staring at me on the table. Taking care of _that_ business was not going to be fun because I'd have to start figuring out the meaning behind this sordid mess. Was it supposed to be someone I knew? Did the hand and testicles belong to a poor unsuspecting soul who was at the wrong place and time to give me a warning signal that it could happen to me next time?

"Edward? Earth to Edward, are you listening to me?" Tanya started raising her voice a little louder in the phone, and my attention was slowly coming back to her.

"Yeah, I'm here. So, what do you say? Can you come over now?" My dick was getting a little twitchy at the fact she would say yes because she always does. She needed the sex as much as I did, and turning me down just wasn't an option for her today.

I heard her TV blaring on the other end of the phone before she answered. "I'll be there in about an hour. It sure would be nice for you to treat me with respect just this once Edward. It is my birthday after all!"

What's that got to do with anything? Like I gave a big rat's ass that it was her birthday. The only reason I got her anything was to avoid an argument, because then she would withhold sex for a subordinate amount of time, and Victoria worked weird hours lately so she wasn't readily available.

"I'll be the complete gentleman, Tanya. See you then." I sat the phone down and decided to go out to the car and bring the lingerie in I had gotten her yesterday. Since she'd be here shortly, I'd better order in some lunch too. That way I'd definitely get out of taking her to a restaurant, but still have food at the same time. I didn't forget about my lovely Fed-Ex package either; that shit was going in the fridge until I had time to inspect it further.

Almost to the minute, Tanya rang the doorbell. I hadn't wrapped her gift as it had come in one of the pretty little bags the expensive stores gave you, which they should because the damn things cost so much. Unbelievable really since it was only a few scraps of material we're talking about.

"Hello, Tanya, glad you could make it. Happy birthday, again." That was about all the excitement I could muster, as I walked toward her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Seriously, that's the best you could do?" Tanya grabbed me by the shirt and laid one on me so hard I could barely breathe. Well, if she wanted to start something as soon as she walked in the door that was fine with me! However, the lingerie needed to go on first.

"Tanya," I pulled her off of mid-kiss to try and get a word in edge-wise. "Baby, I'd like to give you your birthday present, if you'd let me. Trust me; you're going to love it," I said as I turned to pick it up off the table where I'd left it. I handed Tanya the bag and she immediately recognized the bag it came in.

"Oh my God! You got me lingerie from Agent Provocateur? AAAAHHHH! I can't believe it. I've got to go try it on right now! Thank you, Edward!" Tanya swiped up the bag and ran into the bathroom to change_. Well, I guess that means she likes it. Score one for me_.

"So, what do you think, Big E? Do you like?" asked Tanya as she leaned her back on the doorway, one leg bent up as well, with one finger in her mouth. It had taken Tanya all of two minutes to change into the sexy bra and panty set that looked a whole heck of a lot like the one Bella had on yesterday. Yeah, that shit was no coincidence. I was a perceptive motherfucker, and I had to admit that Lingerie Girl had great taste in sexy underwear.

"Edward, are you listening to me or are you daydreaming about what we're about to do, sweetheart?" Tanya was inching her was slowly across my living room, and I'd have to admit, Little E was starting to wake up.

"You look really sexy in that, baby. Come over here and give me a kiss." I was so horny right now, I was about to explode. Tanya sashayed her way to me and ran her hands slowly up my arms.

"You have entirely too many clothes on right now, Edward," she said as she slowly started unbuttoning my shirt. Tanya made quick use of her hands and pushed the shirt off and went straight for the button of my jeans.

"Let's take this to the couch, T," I mumbled between kisses while walking over toward it and pulling my jeans down at the same time, dropping them on the floor. Tanya backed up and fell on the couch, giggling like a schoolgirl. I looked down at her and suddenly, I didn't see a blonde haired, blue-eyed woman anymore. I saw a beautiful, brown haired woman with big, chocolate eyes who was blushing and wearing the same, damn sexy, lingerie that fit her so well, pushing up those beautiful tits making them so round and kissable.

I leaned down to kiss each one of them, pushing the bra down a bit to take a nipple in my mouth, slowly brushing my tongue across it. I heard her whimper and moan as she pulled my head closer to her, raking her fingers through my hair and scratching my scalp pretty hard. Those long, creamy white legs of hers were begging to be spread so I nudged them apart while reaching down under those sexy panties, finding those pretty folds of hers, and spreading those apart too. I dipped one finger in, and then rubbed it back and forth against her wetness.

"Oh, Edward, that feels so good, baby. I need you so bad. It's been too long for us and I can't wait any longer - I need to feel you inside me." She was panting and I could feel her getting close. By this time, I was as hard as a rock and needed to see those big, beautiful eyes again. Not forgetting to cover myself, I leaned down to grab a condom out of my pants pocket and ripped the packet open.

As I was taking care of business, Tanya reached down to take her panties off, but I grabbed her wrist to stop her. "No, these stay on." She looked at me quizzically, but didn't say anything as I pulled them off to one side and positioned myself to her entrance. I inched slowly in her as I closed my eyes and imagined a petite brunette lying underneath me, moaning my name off her lips.

We moved slowly together, and my hips thrust in and out as I was getting near my climax. My thoughts moved to a different place and time, forgetting all my troubles for awhile as I could hear the sound of the waves crashing through the open windows. If only I could have a somewhat peaceful, stress-free life for once, but I knew that would never happen_. Who was I kidding?_ My type of lifestyle didn't constitute any type of peace and I made that choice long ago, or rather, it was chosen for me.

"Ugh, that's it Edward, I think I'm almost there. Don't stop the rhythm, baby," she moaned as I felt her walls constrict Eleazarund my dick.

The pressure of her orgasm sent me over the edge as well, making me scream out too. "Yes, Bella, yes!" I panted loudly, and then realized the movement beneath me had abruptly stopped. _Shit, did I just say what I thought I said?_


	9. Chapter 9

Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just own this story, not the characters.

All Human. Pairings do not start out how they will end. Bella x Edward eventually.

Rated M for language, illegal activity, sex and violence.

**Usually, I like to have Bella and Edward POV in every other chapter. However, this one called for Edward's – due to his little "outburst" at the end of last chapter.**

**I appreciate reviews! ****It helps me as a first time writer of fanfiction to know if you like my story, so with that said, please leave a small review if you have a minute. **

**Many thanks to my betas Kirsten and Ange too!**

**Chapter 9**** – Someone Got Their Balls Handed to Them**

**EPOV**

I couldn't believe those three little words just came out of my mouth. Suddenly, I envisioned MY hand holding MY balls in a small little box because that was what was going to be happening in just about five seconds. My eyes slowly opened to look down at Tanya who had stilled so quietly beneath me, I thought I had just screwed her to death. Actually, it wasn't such a bad thought because it would have saved me the tongue lashing I was about to get.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Tanya said a little too softly.

I was going to have to think quickly on this one. "I said, 'That's better, yes!'"

"Bullshit! I specifically heard you call me Bella. Who the hell is Bella?" Okay, Tanya's quiet voice had just risen to a much higher decibel level.

I had pulled out of Tanya at this point, my dick having shrunk down rather quickly at the direction this conversation was taking. Taking the condom off, I tossed it in the trashcan next to the couch and bent down to grab my pants off the floor.

"Bella is no one for you to worry about Tanya. Let's just forget about it, all right? I have lots of work to do and a lot on my mind right now. It was just a slip of the tongue."

"Are you kidding me? You just made love to me, the sweetest, most tender sex we have ever had, then you call me by some other bitch's name, and you expect me to just forget about it? What kind of sick asshole does that−not to mention that it's my birthday too! You really are one egotistical prick, you know that?" Tanya was beyond pissed, and I didn't blame her. I was a prick, but I had made it very clear on more than one occasion that we did not have a monogamous relationship. When was she ever going to get it through her thick head?

"T, look, we have a lot of fun together, but I highly doubt I'm the only guy you're fucking right now, so just stop it with the self-righteous bullshit, okay? I think its best that you go. I'm sorry about your birthday and all, but I didn't plan for that to happen and under the circumstances, I think we should just call it a night." After all the shit that had gone down the past couple of days, it was the last thing I needed. An argument with a bitchy, scorned woman was not something I was in the right mind to deal with at that moment.

"Yeah, I can see where I'm just a bother to you, Edward. You always need to rush off when you're done with me. Uncle Eleazar would just love to hear how I'm treated, and I can't wait to go and tell him." Tanya stormed off into the bathroom and I just let her go.

I knew she would be playing that card soon. When we had started this "relationship," I knew something like that might happen, so I had been researching other suppliers. I had a list compiled on my laptop, which would come in handy for two reasons. Since our drugs were stolen out from under our noses the other night by God knows who, and my broken relationship with Tanya, that list was very much needed.

Life with Tanya hadn't been all bad. The good thing about her had been that she had stuck to her own business without getting all up in mine. She would hang around in the house while I was doing business, and of course, I didn't have to lie to her about what I did. She knew what kind of life I led, and I didn't have to worry about her turning me in to the Feds. If she did, she knew I would do exactly the same to her uncle, and then her meal ticket was out the door. We had our occasional arguments, but I had never screamed out another woman's name during sex before. That was definitely a first, and the last, because I highly doubted I'd be seeing her again anytime soon after my "tender" sign of affection.

While Tanya was in the bathroom, I had put the rest of my clothes on and walked over to grab my cell phone. I made a mental list of people I was going to contact in the next half hour after she left, because I needed to get rolling on this mole I had acquired. The day was getting away from me, and I still had a shit load of things to do. Walking over to my study, I stepped on something with my bare feet and hobbled over to the couch for leverage. Holy shit that hurt! Picking the pointy little object out of my foot, I glanced down to see Tanya's earring sparkling up at me. I guess I'd deserved that one. Setting the earring down on the end table, I rubbed my foot for a minute and managed to limp my way over to my desk. Of all things to step on, it had to be an earring. One simple earring – but it brought back so many horrible memories.

**Flashback**** – 9 years ago**

_It__ couldn't have been a more beautiful, sunny day to start the summer and for my graduation day. It was a long time coming - the day that every kid waits for; the last day of thirteen long years of hard work, getting up early, and enduring seven long hours of education-filled stupor. For me, it meant a sense of freedom; one less moral obligation to attend to at the ripe old age of eighteen. It also meant I could start getting my business off the ground, because I wouldn't have classes interfering with my daily clients. Too bad one of the prettiest days of the year was to be one of the darkest days of my life._

_Believe it or not, my __mom was actually sober for my graduation, which was a first. She was a beautiful woman, so full of life before the accident with my father, and now, just a shell of her former self. That day represented a lot for her and me. We used to sit up talking at night about my future and what I would be when I grew up. She wanted me to be a doctor, preferably a plastic surgeon for when she got older and needed her crow's feet smoothed out. I had always laughed and told her she was so beautiful that she'd never need any surgery because she was going to stay young forever. _

_I wanted to be whatever she wanted me to be because she was my whole life__. She had sacrificed her career as an interior designer to stay home and take care of me. We were the two musketeers who consoled each other after my father's death and plugged along to make ends meet until the insurance came through for us. When years passed and I had received offers from Dartmouth and University of Florida, I didn't let her know. By that time, Aro had gotten his hooks into her and our insurance policy. I had started dealing with Jimmy by then and didn't need to go to college._

_Yeah, I'd never make the kind of money being a doctor that I could heading up the biggest drug ring in the south, because it was going to happen. I was going down the path of greatness, to be the kingpin of an industry that although illegal, was the most profitable and actually made me a known entity. Everyone was going to know my name; I would be a celebrity in the drug world, but hidden to the public. In just two short years, my little side business started with just me and Jimmy had grown into quite the small conglomerate. We started off selling here and there to two-bit hustlers, and next thing we knew, we were the go-to guys for everything from pot to heroin. But it was last year Jimmy started getting sloppy, and I capitalized on his indiscretions. Unbeknownst to him, I started meeting with our supplier, and he would clue me in that no one wanted to work with Jimmy anymore, and slipped me more and more contacts. I was elated because cutting out another worthless person meant more cash and accolades for me._

_Of course, my __mother was clueless and thought I was the most responsible child there ever was. She knew I went to school, worked at the camping store and had the occasional girlfriend. During her moments of consciousness, she praised me when I had won awards at school or sat in the audience when our debate team had a competition. My mom was a beautiful human being, but circumstances just led her down the wrong path. Taking care of her was a full time job in itself, and although I could have afforded a live-in nurse, I didn't want the word to get out that I had a druggie for a mother. _

_It wa__s embarrassing to hide the fact your Mom was strung out all the time and keeping that secret was not an easy task. Emmett was a good friend I could count on at a moment's notice. Other than Jimmy, he was the only other friend I had who knew about Mom, and he kept my secret which made him pretty high up in my book._

_One night__ I had come home from work and found Mom passed out in the driveway with the car still running. It was about 12:30 am, and I had no idea how long she had been lying there, so I pulled my phone out and made a hysterical call to Em, waking his ass up, which he wasn't really happy about. He came right over though and between the two of us we nursed her back to health over the next couple of days. She swore she was done with the stuff. What a joke that was! It wasn't long before Aro reared his ugly head and pushed her right back into the shit all over again. I hated that man with all my being. One of these days, I was going to make him pay for what he did to my mother, my reason for living, as it was completely his doing she was a mess in the first place._

_So, it was surprising__, but nice to see my mom actually sober on my fateful graduation day and I felt like the luckiest graduate of Forest Hills High. She wore a pretty flower print dress with a low neckline which accentuated her svelte figure. Her hair was pulled up in a bun with little curled strands hanging down from the sides and she wore these cute, white pumps. I couldn't have been more proud to be seen with her and we even took lots of pictures to commemorate the event. _

_Later __in the night after a celebratory dinner, Emmett and I had reminisced about some of the fun times we had in school and the stupid pranks we used to pull on kids we didn't like. We also talked about our future - Emmett was crazy about cars, and I tinkered around with them too. So while sitting on the porch, we got this huge brainstorm that maybe we could open up our own car lot one day and sell those hot ass cars we see in movies. _

"_Man, I'd give my left nut to open up an exotic car business, but damn, you gotta have a lot of dough for that. Nice dreams, though." Emmett said as he watched the cars go by on the street._

"_What if I told you we could afford it, Em? Our dreams could come true, and the store could be a reality?" _

"_I'd say you're as strung out as your mom usually is, that's what," Em said__, laughing afterwards._

"_Listen, Em, I've got something to tell you." I decided at that particular moment I might have to deal Emmett in on my business. I had wanted to tell him for so long and the opportunity just arose. "Here's the scoop. Don't freak out on me, but . . . I've been dealing. Once you hear what kind of cash I'm bringin' in, you're gonna shit your pants. Now, just for the record, I don't use, but you already know that. You and I both have seen what my Mom has gone through, and I will never touch the stuff. But I will tell you, I'm sick and tired of my dad's life insurance going up in smoke and not seeing a penny of it. I've worked two jobs and between taking care of her and going to school, I'm exhausted. So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." I figured I might as well lay it all on the line and hopefully not lose my best friend._

"_What the fuck, Eddie? Your mom is strung out on drugs all the time, you hate Aro__, and now you're SELLING the shit? You wanna clue me in on what you're using, buddy?"_

_I held up my hand to let him know to hear me out. "One day, Jimmy was around when I was tinkering with my car. He mentioned something about selling to a couple of guys and then pulled out a wad of cash. I couldn't believe he made that much money in a week. Do you know how long I would have to work at the camping store to get half that?" I looked over at Em and he was just sitting there dumbfounded over this new revelation his best friend was selling drugs. "Anyway, to make a long story short, I inquired about what it would take for me to get in, and the rest is history."_

_Emmett stood up and looked at me for a second. Then, he pulled back his right a__rm, his hand in a closed, tight fist and swung it across the left side of my jaw. I fell flat on my back, wondering if all my teeth were still in my head._

"_Holy hell, Em. What was that for?" I mumbled, rubbing my jaw because that shit hurt like hell._

"_For being the dumbest fucker on the planet. Ed, you got sucked in right with the rest of them. You're smarter than that." Em started shaking his fist at his side which made me feel a little bette__r because he was hurting too._

"_Yeah, I am smarter than that Em, but you know what? Trust me when I tell you that you will never see this much money in your whole life. How do you expect us to get the kind of cash to front something like an exotic car business? Take a guess at how much cash I've made so far." Em just stood there with his head down, shaking it unbelievably._

"_I don't care, Ed.__"_

"_Just ask me, Em."_

"_Don't care, Ed."_

"_Ask. Me."_

"_No." Damn, stubborn idiot._

"_Em, in two years, I have made $500,000. Did you hear me? $500 G's, man!" I glanced over at Emmett who was now sitting down with his jaw to the floor. Yeah, I thought that would get him._

"_You're fucking with me, Ed. Not funny, at all."_

"_I'd never fuck with you, and I told you it was unbelievable. Follow me; I want to show you something." We got up from sitting on the porch and went back into my bedroom. Once I had started making serious cash, I had purchased a combination safe and installed it in the back corner of my closet. Putting in the series of correct numbers, I opened it up and pulled out stacks and stacks of bills, all in hundreds._

_I grabbed the small piece of notebook paper that was __lying in the corner and showed it to Emmett. On the paper written in pencil was the amount $500,020.00. Emmett just held the paper in his hand and stared at it for over 5 minutes._

"_Now do you believe me?" I glared over at him from the chair I was now sitting on. _

_Emmett was about to say something when a loud noise went off outside the house. It sounded like a gunshot. Em and I rose out of our chairs and ran through the house as fast as we could. We were just in time to see Aro's car peeling out of the driveway and speeding down the road. The light pole from the road was bright enough that we could see __a pool of blood on the pavement but we weren't sure whose blood it was. I started to think about what just happened when my mind flashed to Mom - oh my God, Mom! I ran back in the house, tripping on the gravel but making it to the door in record time, all while screaming her name. Time seemed to stand still because I had a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Running from room to room and not seeing her or hearing her return my calls, I knew she was gone. Inside her bedroom I found a note and an earring. _

_Dearest Edward,_

_I know I haven't been the best parent to you and for that, I am truly sorry. You have given up so much for me, and I have bestowed the worst burden that was ever thought possible on a son. You deserve so much more in life, and in the condition I'm in right now, I cannot be the mother you so desperately need and want. Please know that I love you and I always will. I always have. Don't come and look for me−I really need to sort things out and get my life in order. I don't have much money left, but this diamond earring your father gave me for our 10__th__ anniversary should tie you over for awhile. I have to take the other one so I can pawn it and have something to live on as well. Stay focused and grab the golden ring. You have a great head on your shoulders, and I know you'll do well in life. I love you, Son._

_All my love,_

_Mom_

**Present Day**

A tear dropped down my face and onto the pad of paper sitting there on my desk. I hadn't thought back to that day in a long time; there was no reason to, as I know it was mom who died that night. There was no actual proof, but mom had made no contact with me since then, and mixed with the amount of blood found in the driveway, there was just one logical conclusion. Ironically, Aro had never been spotted since that day either, which was a good thing for him. The day I heard the motherfucker was still alive and walking on this planet, it would be his last day on this earth.

My head was pounding. I needed to re-focus and get my shit together. In the other room, I heard the slamming of drawers and Tanya's heels clicking on my floors. She marched into the study with something hanging out of her hand but it was hard to tell what it was. I wiped my eyes with the back of my wrist because the last fucking thing I wanted her to see was me crying and getting the wrong idea.

"I just thought I'd leave you something to remember me by, _dear_," Tanya said very sarcastically as she raised her arm and dropped several scraps of blue lingerie to the floor. "Fuck you, Edward. Don't ever contact me again, or I will call the cops on you so fast, your ass will be in jail forever." She then turned around, flipped me off, and stormed out the door.

My head just fell in my hands and I pulled at my hair. A sense of relief washed over me, and I felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted from my shoulders. I didn't intentionally set out to hurt Tanya, but then again, I was glad she was gone. She was just a booty call, even though she did hang out around here at times. Tanya liked to think she was my one and only, but deep down she knew better, and things were bound to come to an end sooner or later.

Anyway, I had more urgent matters to attend to, mainly visiting Mr. Franchetti at the local jail.

By the time I reached the jail on the other side of town, I was mentally exhausted. I hadn't thought about that fateful night my mother had left in a long time. After she disappeared, I had looked for her everywhere. I travelled around searching for clues here and there, relatives she might have visited, friends who might have seen her, but came up with zilch. I gave up looking after a couple years, but still checked the obituaries every now and then. Despite everything, Emmett and I seriously started to build our car business. I was glad for the diversion because it gave me a lot of time to focus my energy in to something else completely.

Pulling in the parking lot, I put the car into park and blew out a long sigh. As I walked up to the police station, it stated they would be closed for business in an hour, so I walked a little quicker through the hallway to the front desk.

"I'm here to see Johnny Franchetti, please. He would have been brought in a couple of nights ago," I said, looking up at the uniformed cop who was staring a hole through me. I hated police stations, and it was amazing I was even in one, but this had to be done. I needed to speak to Johnny and hear from his mouth just who he spoke with on the phone that night.

Flipping through the papers on his clipboard, the cop looked a little befuddled. He went through them more than once and looked up at me. "No one was brought in here by that name."

"Excuse me, isn't this the only police station someone would have been brought if a bust went down in the Midtown District?" I asked.

"Yes, it is," the cop stated.

"Okay, so why isn't Johnny Franchetti here? Let me spell it for you." I then proceeded to spell it for him and reluctantly he looked through his papers again.

"Again, no one here by that name. Which bust you talkin' about?"

The guy was irritating me. "The one that happened in the warehouses down by the north end of the Edgewater neighborhood. It was a big drug bust. Didn't you guys bring the Franchettis here, because word has it they were the ones arrested for shooting the Salvatore brothers?"

"Oh, you're talkin' about the shooter, huh? I didn't catch his name. You obviously haven't heard the latest then, son. We were getting ready to bring him in and put him in the squad car. Out of nowhere, it seems, a couple of our best men were knocked out from behind and when they came to, the shooter and his brother were gone." The cop took his hat off and scratched his head. "Funny thing that was . . . anyway, the dead guys went down to the morgue, of course, and a couple other guys got away on foot."

Son of a bitch. All kinds of thoughts were running through my head and none of them were good. Someone was going to a lot of trouble to piss me off, and they were doing a damn good job of it. I stormed out of the police station and immediately got on the phone with Jasper.

He picked it up on the second ring. "Hey, man what's up?"

"Jazz, we got more trouble, if you can believe that. Not only did someone steal our drugs the other night, but they also took two more of our men. The Franchettis are missing now – I just went to the police station to talk to Johnny, and the cop told me that he and his brother never made it there. Someone knocked the cops out cold and just took them. This is getting ugly and personal now too." I was pacing outside of the police station as Jazz spoke up.

"Holy shit, man! You've got to be kidding me. The only guy who could have talked with us about the tip off person and now he's gone. This was well planned on their part, huh?" Jazz asked as I opened my car door. I sat in the car and pulled up my arm rest to grab the pack of cigarettes lying under it. It was times like this that I needed to indulge in one of my vices.

"It gets better too, Jazz. You're never going to believe what I got delivered to my house today; a refrigerated package with someone's hand holding their own balls. At least I think it's their own balls. Can you believe that?" I lit up my cigarette outside of my car because I didn't want it smelling of smoke.

Jazz's reaction was quite humorous to say the least. "You mean someone got their balls handed to them? That's fucking nuts, dude. We're dealing with some nasty people here. This sounds like something the Chinese Mafia would do and I don't like this shit one bit."

I took one last drag off my cigarette and threw it on the ground, stubbing it out with my foot. "I know. We've got a long road ahead of us, and it's becoming quite the mystery as to who's trying to screw with us. I need to call and tell Emmett. Maybe he has some leads by now.

Before I hung up the phone, Jazz mentioned one last thing. "Edward, you don't think that little gift of yours belongs to Johnny, do you?"

"Actually, Jazz, that thought has crossed my mind. Once Johnny realized he shot Andy and Mario, he had to have known he was set up and the tip-off guy was to blame. There's really no way they'd let him live at this point. Question is, is his brother, Sonny, dead as well?" By that time, I had gotten in my car and was headed back to my beach house. "If there is any chance he's alive, we have to find him. They're probably torturing him to death, trying to find out if he knows anything more about our business. The strange thing about this whole situation is that Johnny knew this guy and obviously trusted him. Whoever this asshole is to turn around and kidnap him, he must be a real sadistic motherfucker."

I closed the phone and threw it on the passenger seat. What a day it had been. First, the nice little delivery package, sex with Tanya who I envisioned as Lingerie Girl, and then Johnny possibly being dead. I was in desperate need of a drink and a good workout, not necessarily in that order though. Tomorrow was another day and I could only hope it wasn't going to be anything like this one turned out to be. On the way home, I plugged my iPod into the outlet and let my favorite classical song bellow out into the car. It was always soothing at times like this, and it cleared my head from all the sad memories I had built up. Turning into the driveway, I reached down for the garage door opener in the glove compartment and brushed up against a velvet pouch I kept in there. After shutting off the lights, I opened up the pouch and dropped its contents onto the palm of my hand. The small diamond earring sparkled up at me as if to tell me everything was going to be okay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

**FYI - I'll try and update once a week. I'm just getting back from vacation so things are a little hectic. Thanks to everyone who has put me on story alert. I'm forever grateful!**


	10. Chapter 10

Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just own this story, not the characters.

All Human. Pairings do not start out how they will end. Bella x Edward eventually.

Rated M for language, illegal activity, sex and violence.

**So to mix things up a bit, I have both Bella and Edward's POV this chapter. For those of you who have been wondering when they will meet again, well, wonder no more. It's finally here. But be patient…it's got to have a buildup!**

**Also, I did some research on the FBI so most of it is correct however, I took some liberties. FYI - Bella's going to be one kick-ass agent!**

**Chapter 10 – We Meet Again**

**BPOV**

Statistics show that the average person moves homes about twelve times during their life. I felt like I had surpassed that number a long time ago. Thank goodness for the friends I had made at C&M over the last few weeks or it would've taken about a month to move my stuff in to the high-rise. I really liked the condo and had gotten quite used to living in it; too bad it won't be home for long. Taking the elevator was quite a pain in the ass though when you had groceries or things you needed to lug up, but I was adjusting quite nicely. I knew I was going to have to distance myself from my fellow employees, but they made it really hard to do that. They were all so damn nice and helpful.

C&M proved to be quite the lucrative business, and I had already spent countless hours buried under mounds of paperwork each night. When I wasn't doing the day-to-day sales job I was hired for, I was snooping around for the break I so desperately needed. That damn Emmett was as cautious as they come. He double locked everything and had cameras in two corners of his office. That was going to be a challenge, but nothing I couldn't handle. I'd bypassed many a security system in my day, but I just needed his big, burly ass out of there to do it. Alice and I had talked at lunch yesterday, planning a surprise party and the guest list just happened to include none other than big Emmett himself. My plan was set in motion for the following week; Rose had a birthday on Wednesday, and I knew those two had the hots for each other so this should be an easy setup. Unbeknownst to Alice, I would conveniently forget Rose's present back at the office. This was my chance to search through Emmett's office and hopefully get some information on his "side business".

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful, with nothing out of the ordinary happening, which I was thankful for. I had quite a lot to accomplish over the weekend with my FBI job, and it was quite exhausting doing the two jobs at once. A workout was what I needed, so on Friday at around four o'clock pm, I decided to call it a day. I didn't feel guilty about it because I had already put in eighty hours this week and was always the last one to leave the building, next to Emmett, of course. Grabbing my gym bag from the armoire in my office, I walked over to the door and shut the lights off.

Just as I was walking out, Alice looked up at me from her desk. "Are you leaving so soon, Marie?"

"Yeah, I'm all out of fresh ideas and since I had forgotten what the light of day looks like, I decided I'd check it out while I had the chance." My muscles were a little sore from sitting at my desk for hours on end, and I couldn't wait to start moving around again.

"Well, have fun and don't forget I'm picking you up tomorrow to finalize the plans for the party," she whispered, looking around to make sure that Rose was nowhere in sight.

"I didn't forget. I'll be ready by noon because we're having lunch at that little bistro by the stadium, right?" I had wanted to eat there since I arrived but had been too busy to try it out.

That means I would be doing most of my research tonight on the Franchettis. Word at the FBI headquarters said that they were missing, and no one had seen nor heard from them since the big bust about a month ago. I needed to compile a list of all their associates, so I would be going through quite the list of photos tonight. We had them and the Salvatores under surveillance for months now, and since the two brothers were missing, it had thrown quite the wrench in our plans.

"Yep, that's the plan. See you then, and have a great workout!" Alice was quickly becoming my best friend. I hadn't had one since Lauren died, and on one hand, it was comforting to know I could let myself get close to someone, but on the other, I wasn't sure what she'd think of me if she knew everything I told her about myself was a lie. Well, mostly everything.

I walked out to my car, and even though it was the middle of March, I could feel the humidity in the air already. Whew! It was going to be a real scorcher in the summer. That would take some getting used to but I was ready for the challenge. Just like this assignment, I thought. I tossed my gym bag in the back of the car and headed out of the parking garage. It'd be nice to get a good workout in today; maybe I'd take that Bikram yoga class that starts at four thirty. I'd read that it was a good class to sweat out toxins in your body, relax and stretch your muscles.

By the time I had found a parking spot, I had five minutes to spare. Running through the gym, I made my way back to the women's locker room and proceeded to change my clothes. As I slipped my skirt down, I remembered I had worn one of my Agent Provocateur panty sets today. It was the sexy, green set with matching bra and lace thong. Momma always said it was good to feel powerful in sexy lingerie and she wasn't kidding. I was ready to bust some ass and take control of this damn class – bring it on!

**EPOV**

I was in need of some major stress relief, so the gym was just calling my name for a late Friday workout. Emmett was running late as usual, so Jazz and I grabbed a protein shake until he could join us. Since the bust went down, we had been searching for Johnny, but have had no luck. Everyone who we thought was suspicious had a solid alibi, so we had officially hit a dead end. It was looking more and more like it was Johnny's hand and testicles I had in my freezer. Emmett had freaked the fuck out when I showed him my little FedEx package; to say he was mad was quite an understatement. He understood the severity of the situation we were in and knew someone was really out to get us. Yes, we had pissed off lots of people since we had been in this business, but no one had gone to such great lengths to get our attention before.

We were officially taking a break from worrying about the mole and possible murderers at this point and decided to work off some steam. The rock wall was our latest victim, and as soon as Em got his ass here, we were going to give it a go.

"Hey, Ed, what's up for this weekend, man? You got any plans?" Jazz asked after taking a long drink of his protein shake.

"No, I think I'm just going to hang low and chill out at the house. What about you?" I kept looking toward the front of the gym doors for Emmett to arrive any minute now.

"Nothing much. I met a cute girl last weekend and got her number at Mansion. It was a little loud in there with the band, plus I was a little buzzed, so I wasn't sure what we talked about. Hopefully, she was a halfway decent girl with some brains! I might give her a call."

I chuckled at that because I had been to Mansion numerous times and you cannot hear shit in that place. "I don't think I'll be getting any this weekend unless Victoria's home. She's my saving grace in the booty call department–especially since Tanya's out of the picture." I slurped up the last of my drink and pushed the glass aside. "I'm just not in the mood to pick up some random chick this weekend. Besides, I have too much work to do. We have that Vegas convention soon and I'm arranging some serious meetings while we're there. I need to finish getting all of those set up."

About that time, Emmett came striding through the doors and up to our table. "Sorry about being late, guys. I was having some technical difficulty with my security cameras. It looks like they're malfunctioning or some shit. I've got a call out to a repairman to come look at it but they can't make it until next week." Emmett threw his gym bag down and reached down to take a drink of my shake only to find I had drunk it all. Slurping sounds were made and he put the cup back down.

"You could've left me a drink at least," Emmett said picking his bag back up.

"Didn't know I was supposed to. C'mon, let's get moving."

Jazz and I disappeared to the back of the gym towards the rock wall while Emmett went and changed his clothes. He was out in record time and we had a great time climbing the wall. It was one of the more fun things to do at the gym, and we had climbed it a couple times a month. We all had bought the gear a few months ago since we were all a little germ phobic. It was a little expensive, but who the hell cared about money?

We were quite sweaty by the time we finished and were headed to the showers when I felt something sticky on my hands. I must have stuck my hands in one of those grooves, and I'm betting someone had left gum on their shoe when they stuck their foot in there. I had to remember to let one of the employees know that; that shit is just gross. Jazz and Em had gone ahead to the locker room, and I walked over towards the disinfectant spray bottle to clean my hands off. Someone had beaten me to the bottle and was spraying it into their paper towel when the thing took on a mind of its own and sprayed itself right into my eye.

"Shit!" I yelled as it was burning the hell out of my left eye.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" some man said as he touched my shoulder. "That stuff just shot out and I couldn't control it."

"Yeah, I know. I saw it but couldn't get out of the way fast enough." I had one hand over my left eye and squinted with the other to make my way over to the locker room. By this time, I think I must have touched the disinfectant and had gotten it on my other hand which touched my right eye. I had to wash this shit out fast because it was stinging really bad.

Rounding the corner of what I hoped to be the locker room, I held both my arms out in front of me trying to feel my way to the sink. About that time, my hands felt something soft and silky, but also warm and squishy.

"What the hell?" I heard a woman's voice screaming at me, in not such a nice tone either.

Still squinting, I could barely make out a woman's figure with a towel falling over her face. Oh, shit. I suddenly realized it wasn't the men's locker room I had entered, but the women's.

"Excuse me, ma'am, I am so sorry, but I need to find a sink to wash out my eyes. I got disinfectant in them and can hardly see a thing!" I exclaimed, my head down, but still holding out my arms, now searching around a little faster for my goal.

After realizing what was actually going on, I think she felt bad for me, and I felt a warm pair of hands on my arms guiding me towards my saving grace.

I heard the glorious sound of water running and began to throw water in my face. Nothing had felt so welcoming before as relief spread over my body, and I could slowly begin to see again. It took only a few seconds, and my eyes were beginning to feel better, so I glanced up in the mirror to see if any damage had been done. What I saw in the background astonished me and made my heart beat a little faster.

A gorgeous brunette with sexy green lingerie on was standing with her back towards me brushing her hair. She probably thought I was still washing my eyes out because I left the water running, but I couldn't help myself. I turned around to sneak a peek, because it just couldn't be who I thought it was. I mean, I was hoping so, but what a coincidence would that be? Well, there was no time like the present.

"Bella, is that you?" I asked.

She turned around, shocked that someone might know her name; especially some strange man who happened to walk into the women's locker room.

"Edward? Edward Anthony from the lingerie store? Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!" She put her hand over her mouth and realized that, once again, when we met she was in her underwear.

I felt embarrassed for her; I didn't know why because I fucking loved seeing her in those sexy bra and panties. However, by the way she was blushing, I had a feeling she felt totally humiliated because she was almost completely naked – again. Her blush was the cutest thing I'd ever seen.

"This can't be happening again!" She turned around to grab her shorts and immediately started putting them on. Then she reached for her t-shirt and slipped it on hurriedly over her head, pulling her hair out from it so it cascaded over her back.

"I – I'm so sorry for barging in here. I seriously had no idea I was in the women's locker room. My eyes were stinging so bad that I could barely see anything!" I don't think I'd apologized for anything in a long time. It felt nice.

"It's okay, I understand. It was quite funny, actually," she said giggling. She finished putting her clothes on and walked over toward me. "I didn't recognize you when you came in, your head was down, arms flailing around . . . all I saw was a man walking into the women's locker room, and I definitely didn't think it'd be you! Can you imagine the irony of this situation?" She was standing in front me, and I could tell she was nervous. She fidgeted with her hands a bit, but then I could sense an air of confidence about her too.

I laughed because she was absolutely right, this was quite ironic. "I need to apologize for the last time I saw you. My phone rang and it was my business partner with some urgent news." Damned if I just didn't apologize twice in less than a minute! _Whoa._ I ran my hand through my hair, and it hit me that I was still standing in the women's locker room. I hoped that no one would interrupt us again like the last time.

"Yeah, I remember. I have to tell you another ironic thing. Guess what my ring tone is?" Bella asked as she put a strand of hair behind her ear.

Seeing her put her hair behind her ear turned me on for some reason. It was a simple gesture, but it made me a little hard, nonetheless. "Don't tell me it's the "Mission: Impossible" theme?"

"Yep. Pretty weird, right?" Bella kept glancing at the door, wondering if someone would come in and find me.

"Yeah, I'd say so. Um, would you mind if we took this conversation outside the women's locker room? I don't want to get yelled at again." I let Bella lead us out of the locker room and put a hand at the small of her back.

We stopped just outside the doorway. "I have to admit, I thought I'd never see you again. However, I'm not going to lie; I'm glad I did." She said this so matter-of-factly that it gave me goose bumps.

"I'm glad too. Obviously, you're from around here. I wasn't sure at first because we have a lot of tourists in Miami; however, I've never seen you in here before. Do you live or work close by?" So much for being forward, Edward, but I figured I might as well ask, or risk the chance of not ever seeing her again.

Bella paused for a second, and I could tell she was using caution with her next words. "I do live close by, but I'm fairly new to the area. I've only lived here for a few months but I really love it here. The weather is beautiful, not at all like what I'm used to."

"Well, has anyone shown you around our beautiful city? I'm a native Floridian and no one knows Miami better than me!" Okay, it was an easy way to ask her out, but she opened the door, so I just went with it.

"Uh, sure, that would be great. If you don't mind, that is? I don't want to be a bother or anything."

"Oh, no bother at all. I know this is short notice, but do you have plans for this weekend?" There was no time like the present to ask out Lingerie Girl. I hadn't been turned down too many times, so it wasn't like I was beyond grabbing the opportunity when it presented itself.

"Would you mind if I go in the locker room and grab my phone? I left it on the bench in there and my calendar is on it." I nodded and she headed off through the door.

A quick minute went by before she came back out. "I'm having lunch with a friend tomorrow to help her plan a party, so that should put me free about four pm. Would that time work for you?" she asked as she slid her phone back to type something in. Hmm, Panty Girl was quite the organized professional. I wondered what she did for a living. She probably works as a CPA; those types were always punching in things on their Blackberries.

"Works for me. Can I pick you up or would you like me to meet you somewhere?" I didn't want to press my luck by inviting myself straight to her house, so I wanted to give her an option. Girls like that shit.

"Um, if it's okay with you, why don't we meet at the Miami Art Museum right across from Bicentennial Park? I like to run around there because it's so beautiful. I'm at least familiar with that area." She bit down on her bottom lip like she was almost embarrassed to tell me she liked to run. Why would I not find that sexy as hell? I mean the girl was fit and muscular; she even looked like she could kick my ass, even though she couldn't have weighed more than 115 pounds - that and plus, she really couldn't ever kick my ass.

"Miami Art Museum it is then! Would it be too presumptuous of me to ask for your phone number? I'd like to put it in my cell phone just in case something comes up. I don't anticipate that, but you never know."

She blushed a little at me asking for her number, and I was guessing she doesn't give out her number too easily. "Uh sure, if you hand me your phone I'll punch it in for you."

Once she punched her phone in my cell, I turned around and called it. "Now you have mine as well. I'd better get back to my buddies, they're probably wondering what happened to me. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, that'll be great. Thanks for asking me, Edward, I'm looking forward to it!" Bella closed her phone up and headed back to the locker room.

I headed to the men's room feeling like a million bucks. After all the day dreaming about my Panty Girl, I'm finally going to take her out on a date. Shit, I don't even remember the last time I was even excited about going out on a date. Wait a minute. I don't even remember going out on a date; I just slept with random women I picked up in bars or restaurants, who was I kidding? Jazz and Em are never going to believe this story.

**BPOV**

Was it a coincidence or was it fate that I had ran into Mr. Anthony twice in just my underwear? If it was fate, I wasn't sure what kind of fate it was yet. Hopefully it would turn out to be good, because that guy was all kinds of hot and he made my girlie bits all tingly and stuff. I couldn't believe he just asked me out too. It took me a second when he asked if I lived close by because I couldn't blow my cover. I didn't want him to know where I worked and what I was doing because I had been way too cautious over these last few years to protect myself.

**Flashback – 5 years ago**

"_I really don't know about this, Bella. I understand your reasoning behind wanting to get into a business like mine, but it's really no place for a woman." Charlie had been trying to talk me out of my FBI training for years now and there was no way I was changing my mind. When Lauren was dying in my arms, I promised her I would do everything in my power to avenge her death. If it meant that I would be giving up a good portion of my life to training hard, learning martial arts and studying foreign languages, etc., then so be it. I was going to be a damn good agent and put all the vile, evil thugs behind bars where they belong._

"_Dad, you seriously didn't just say this is no place for a woman, right?" I had just finished my tae-kwon-do workout and was heading back to the training center. Throwing a towel around my neck, I bent down to put on my shoes. I could understand Charlie not wanting his little girl getting hurt and all that, but he knew I was about to graduate at the top of my class. To be an FBI agent, I had to go through twenty weeks of rigorous training from case exercises, academics, firearms training, and operations skills. I had aced everything, and even my instructors said they had never seen a woman score so high on every single test they offered. They gave me targets, I shot every one down; they gave me survival training, I lived on bugs and found my way out of a 300 acre forest; they gave me intelligence missions, I caught every mock terrorist that came my way._

_I had no idea how all of the training came so easy for me, but it had. Most said it was because my father was an FBI agent as well, which was fair to say. However, he really wasn't home much to raise me so I didn't think that was it. It was determination; I was clear in my goals and pretty fearless as well. I didn't take for granted that I was human, but I had intensely great instincts for such a small, young woman. And for all of that, I was eternally grateful. I did have lots of competition though and boy, did I love competition!_

_Dimitri Smith was my biggest competitor who couldn't stand being beaten by a girl - in anything. This proved quite the challenge as we trained together at Quantico, trying to one up the other in target practice, interviewing techniques and such. I actually let him beat me one time just to make him feel better. Just once._

_I went on and furthered my studies because I didn't feel that twenty weeks was enough training for me. Yes, I was an overachiever, but since I lived a pretty sheltered, quiet life I had nothing better to do at the time. As it was, Dimitri followed me to Qatar where I studied many foreign languages and joined a Special Forces team. A year went by and our relationship developed into a less competitive one and into a more compassionate one. We were together most of the time that I guess it was inevitable. He kept me grounded and out of trouble. I enjoyed the physical aspect of it of course, but my head was too focused in my career, and my heart just wasn't responding to him the way it should._

_By the time I had my four years of training, I was well versed in seven languages, had my black belt in three forms of martial arts and was a noted expert marksman. I also had my MBA for future assignments if I needed it. My bases were all covered and if I had an inside job at a corporation, the FBI could create me a resume that would make Donald Trump ecstatic. _

_So, was the FBI a place for a woman? My background proved that it was._

**Present Day**

Yeah, I think I would keep my identity a secret for as long as I could. Until I meet Mr. Right and he could prove to me that he was trustworthy and faithful, I would be staying undercover.

**A/N: Next chapter: First date! Finally. . . I'm trying to update once a week so thanks for those who put me on story alert. If you like my story, leave me a review. Please, and thank you! **


	11. Chapter 11

Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just own this story, not the characters.

All Human. Pairings do not start out how they will end. Bella x Edward eventually.

Rated M for language, illegal activity, sex and violence.

Many thanks to my betas Ange and Kirsten!

**Here it is! Edward and Bella's first date**** . . . ta dah! Hope you all enjoy it. Let me know if you do **

**Chapter 11 – Saturday ****in the Park**

EPOV

I, Edward Masen was going on a date. None of my friends would believe it. As I was deciding what to wear on the date, I also tried to think back to the last time I had been on one. Wow, I really needed a life.

My personal life had taken a back seat for as long as I could remember, and if I actually thought about it, I guess I never really cared before. No woman had really inspired me enough to even want to go out with them. The only thing I cared about was making money and being on top, and I have pretty much conquered that. There was nothing I couldn't buy if I wanted it, I travelled anywhere I wanted to at any given time and had the world at my fingertips.

Yeah, Edward Masen definitely didn't need any woman around to nag his ass and spend all his money.

However, Panty Girl was sexy and a little mysterious. There was something about her that made me want to find out more and it was unnerving. I was not sure what it was – and it made me a little uneasy for some reason. She was beautiful, warm and a little introverted which made it all the more fun to get to know her. Today should be a great day, and for the first time in a long while, I was looking forward to spending time with a woman.

Everyone knew it wasn't cool to show up too early on a date – especially a first date. On the flip side, if you showed up too late, it looked like you were being disrespectful.

With all of that being said, I arrived at six minutes after four o'clock and found my date waiting for me on a bench outside the art museum. I couldn't get over how naturally beautiful she was. She wore a peach colored sun dress with these cute, ballet slippers on her feet. Her hair was pinned up with a few strands hanging down on the sides and her big, brown eyes were shielded by her sunglasses.

Bella stood up as soon as she saw me and waved her hand. "Hi, Edward!"

"Hey Bella! It's nice to finally approach you without one of us bumping into the other, huh?" We both laughed, which broke the ice.

"Very true. Not to mention I'm wearing actual clothes, too!" she exclaimed and there was the cute blush again. I was beginning to really like that. It was also good to see she could joke about it.

I put my hands in my pockets because I didn't know what else to do with them. In actuality, I did know what I wanted to do with them, but this was the first date, after all, and I had to act like a gentleman or there would be no second date. "Damn the bad luck!" I chuckled after speaking, hoping she knew I was just kidding.

She smiled, so I assumed she did. "Okay, I'm ready to play tourist. I have my camera, bottled water, comfy shoes . . . did I forget anything?" She patted her bag; making it known her things were in there.

"Sounds like you're ready. I have a few places in mind I think you definitely need to see, but probably haven't heard too much about. It's fun to go to the obscure parts of a city to actually see its roots and culture. The first place I'd like to go to is Little Havana. Have you been there yet?"

Bella put a strand of hair behind her ear. "The only place I've been is to work, the gym and my condo. I haven't had time to visit any tourist spots, so I'm anxious to see what Miami has to offer!"

"All right, then let's get a move on! My car is just around the corner." I had agonized about which car to drive today, because I didn't want to flaunt my wealth in front of her just yet. Most of the cars I could have chosen would do just that, so I picked the red Jeep Wrangler convertible for comfort. Since it got hotter this time of year, it was also a convertible to keep us cooled off.

I ran over to the passenger side door and held it open for her. One thing my mom had always taught me was to be a gentleman, although I usually never had to use those skills since I didn't date. I also never cared enough about a woman to even want to do that before, until now. Weird. We hopped in the Jeep and headed down to one of my favorite places in Miami, which only took us about 30 minutes.

"So, Edward Anthony, what do you do for fun? I know you like to work out, obviously, but tell me a little bit about yourself." I was glad Bella decided to start the conversation first because I didn't want to come off as too nosy.

No way was I going to divulge my secret, underground dealings and scare the girl off right away. Hell, as a matter of fact, the only people who knew I was in the business were the ones who worked with me. "Well, I love to travel and have been to quite a few places in the world. My favorite countries to visit are Australia and Greece and in the States, it's California. I played baseball in high school, but hurt my elbow which kept me from getting a scholarship as a pitcher, and last but not least, I'm a stress smoker." Whew. Trying to get around what I did for a living was a little difficult.

"Interesting, I've never been to either of those countries, but I'd love to visit them some day. I totally suck at most sports, but can hold my own in yoga class and I dislike smoking. A lot." Bella smiled, but crinkled her nose up to let me know she meant what she said.

"Duly noted." Note to self – don't smoke in front of Panty Girl. "Your turn to tell me about yourself. You don't get out of divulging your hidden secrets, you know." I laughed because no way could this girl have secrets like I did! I turned the corner down Calle Ocho, otherwise known as SW 8th St. Good thing I had done my research before we left, because I happened to know there was a street festival going on this afternoon.

Bella bit down on her bottom lip like she was deep in thought which was sexy as hell. "Um, okay. Let's see. . . I'm originally from Washington State where the weather usually stinks. Growing up, I got stuck going fishing with my dad, so I'm pretty good hooking bait, and I love Italian food."

"Italian food, huh? Would you be willing to try Cuban food? I happen to know the owner of a great restaurant here, and I guarantee you won't find any better." We finally arrived and due to the street festival taking most of the parking spaces, it was a little difficult to find a spot. After driving around for what seemed like an eternity, someone finally pulled out, and I whipped the Jeep in the spot quickly.

Bella started to open her door, but I ran around to her side in an instant. Heck, I was amazing myself with my behavior. "Cuban food sounds great. What's going on down here today? It looks like a festival of some sort."

"Little Havana has a street festival every now and then, so when I heard about it, I thought it'd be a great place to show you the local culture." I led Bella toward the booths in the street, which was filled with different vendors and artists. Musicians played their local songs and the people were dressed in authentic clothing from their homeland.

We strolled around the festival for awhile longer looking at various trinkets, paintings and sculptures when all of a sudden Bella's stomach started growling.

"Hmm, is someone getting hungry?" I turned and looked at her seeing that blush again. It was cute as hell.

"Yes, I guess so," she said while putting her hand up to her stomach. "That's so embarrassing!"

"Hey, don't worry about it. I was getting hungry too, so I'm glad your stomach decided to let us know." We walked down a block to the Versailles restaurant where the owner, Marco greeted us at the door.

"Edward, mi amigo! Ha sido mucho tiempo? ¿Cómo ha estado haciendo?" Marco asked, as he shook my hand and glanced over at Bella. "¿Quién es tu amigo encantadora dama?"

"Hola, Marco! Esto es Bella, un amigo mío. Quería traer al mejor restaurante en Miami." I thought I'd reply in Spanish to impress Bella, who was looking at both of us at the moment and holding out her hand for Marco. I didn't want to embarrass her as I knew she probably didn't speak Spanish. Just as I was about to translate, she spoke up.

"Encantado de conocerle, Marco. Me encanta tu ciudad y escucho que su restaurante es excelente. Estoy muriendo de hambre así que lo que me recomienda?" She finished shaking Marco's hand and I just stood there dumbfounded.

"You speak Spanish? Why didn't you tell me that?" Gee, she said she had been in Miami for a short while, so she was either a fast learner or she had taken it in school.

"I took Spanish as an elective in college," she said, as she winked at me while Marco led us over to a table. We sat down and after we ordered our food in Spanish, of course, we talked a little more.

"I'm amazed you speak Spanish so well. How long have you been speaking it?" Curiosity got the best of me, and I suddenly felt the urge to know everything there was about this girl.

Bella thought carefully a moment and then spoke. "Um, I also had a friend who was fluent. He taught me a lot as well, and I guess I picked it up from. We were friends the last couple of years of college."

I just felt a pang of jealousy about someone I never knew, which was a strange feeling because I never got jealous. "Cool. You speak it very well, so I figured it was something like that. Well, I thought the next stop we'd make would be to Coral Castle. Have you ever heard of it?"

"Oh, isn't that the place that one man built on his own – and he built it for his fiancée that left him because he was poor? I saw something about that on the Discovery Channel! That's awesome!" Bella eyes lit up and they looked more beautiful than ever.

About that time, our food came and it was delicious as always. Bella loved it too and it was nice to see a girl who actually ate a plate full of food. Girls usually ordered salad or some shit like that because they were afraid to eat in front of their date.

"I'm excited to see it too, because I've only been there during the day. You know it's been compared to Stonehenge and ancient Greek temples? It's totally amazing!" I finished my food and Bella was almost done with hers when we heard the Mission: Impossible theme. We both looked down at our phones and then laughed.

It was her phone this time and she didn't even glance at the display before she answered it. "Hi, Dad. I'm eating dinner at the moment, so would it be okay to call you back later?"

She looked up at me and mouthed "I'm sorry", and I waved my hand to tell her that it was fine. Bella was so easy to have a conversation with and I was actually having a great time, which was unbelievable. I didn't date women because most of them were either after my money or were a total bore to be around. Bella didn't know I was wealthy so I thought I'd keep that to myself for awhile.

Bella was trying to get her father off the phone, but I could tell he kept asking her questions. "Yes. Uh-huh. That's correct. It's all finished and I will fax the information to you tomorrow, okay? If that's all you need, I really need to get going." Again, Bella looked at me apologetically. "…with a friend, yes. Just a friend, Dad, that's it. Okay, thanks and I'll talk to you later. Bye!" She clicked her phone shut and laid it on the table.

"I am so sorry! As you could tell, that was my dad. He's quite nosy."

"Not a problem. Is everything all right?" I asked her as one of the servers came by with the check. As I pulled out my wallet, Bella reached for her purse. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Edward, you are not buying my dinner. I am perfectly capable of paying my own way." She made a move to get her cash out when I put my hand over hers – and dammit if the electric feeling hit me again. _What was that?_

Bella gazed over where our hands were joined when I spoke up. "If I'm not mistaken, I was the one who asked you out. That means I pay; however, you should take a look at the check."

As she turned the check over, there was a big smiley face drawn on it. Almost immediately, Bella started laughing. "Am I missing something here?"

"I think its Marco's idea of saying that dinner is on him tonight," I responded, standing up and moving around the table to pull her chair out for her. "I've known him for quite some time so he's just showing us some hospitality. If you excuse me for one minute, I'm going to go and thank him." I walked toward the back of the restaurant near the kitchen where I knew Marco would be located. About three years ago, I had heard through the grapevine that Versailles was in some financial trouble, so I had made a generous contribution to bring it back from bankruptcy. Ever since then, Marco hadn't let me pay one dinner bill. Go figure.

After thanking Marco, Bella and I hopped in the Jeep for a short drive over to Homestead and the Coral Castle. I was pretty excited to see this at nighttime because I heard it was awesome. It didn't take too long to get there, and I could tell that Bella was excited as well.

We parked across the street and went over to the ticket booth. Before she could argue about the money thing again, I walked up first and handed them the money. "No arguments, please. Again, I asked you out, let me do this."

"All right, but next time is on me." Bella stepped aside and waited outside of the forming line. _Hmm, so there's a next time, huh?_ That's encouraging. I knew I'd love to go out with her again and as shocked as I am to think that, I couldn't wait.

The sculpture garden was a thing of beauty. We walked around and "oohed" and "aahed" at almost everything we saw.

"I cannot believe one man carved out all of these stones by himself with no modern machinery or assistance from anyone – and he was only five feet tall and weighed 100 pounds! And to think that most of the carved rock weighed many tons; I just don't understand how he did it by himself!" Bella really enjoyed the park and needless to say, I was amazed at her enthusiasm and curiosity. It was nice to spend time with a woman who was smart and not all fluff for once.

"Yeah, and it took over 1,000 tons of coral rock to construct all the walls, towers, furniture and other objects. No one knows for sure how he did it all himself. It's sad that his fiancée never saw any of it too." I whispered this last statement to her so no one else could hear. "He must have either really pissed her off or he had a really small dick."

Bella leaned in closer to me and laughed quietly. It was the closest we had been all night, and it was all I could do to not grab and kiss the hell out of her. I knew it was too early to do that but the horny side of me was thinking even worse thoughts.

"Are you having a good time so far?" I knew she liked the park, but my question had a double meaning to it.

"Yes, I am. Thank you so much for showing me the fun side of Miami, Edward. It's been a great night! I never knew such things existed here, and it's so nice to have such a cute tour guide as well." Bella tilted her head and her hair covered her eyes a little. Her shyness came through again, but her words spoke with confidence.

"I'm glad you let me show you around. It's been my pleasure. There's a lot more to see of Miami but places are closed this time of night. Would you like to get a nightcap somewhere?" I knew it was getting late, but for some reason, I didn't want the night to end. When did I turn in to such a wimp?

"Uh, sure that'd be great! I do have an early day tomorrow, but I have time for one drink."

"Awesome!" I put my hand at the small of her back and led her back to the Jeep. Miami Beach had a beautiful hotel with an awesome bar that overlooked the ocean. Since I was a frequent customer, there wouldn't be a problem getting a seat.

During the drive, I wanted nothing more than to grab her hand and hold it. She was so damn sexy it was just so hard to keep my hands from touching her. Bella didn't seem the type to jump in bed with the first guy she met, and I needed to be respectful of that. It got harder throughout the night to be a gentleman, being the horn dog that I was.

Walking up to the hotel, we noticed a big crowd and I was a little nervous someone might recognize me. Instead of going in the front door, I walked us around toward the back. "Good evening Mr. M−," the host was getting ready to seat us, and I had to cut him off before he said my last name.

"Hello, Antonio. My usual table please." I guided Bella to follow our host towards the back of the bar. If she heard him almost use my last name, she didn't say anything, so that was good.

Antonio just looked at me quizzically, and I slipped him a fifty dollar bill. The look I gave him let him know I wanted him to disappear quickly.

"Well, you're just the celebrity everywhere we go, huh? Should I be asking for your autograph or something?" Bella giggled and there was that gorgeous smile I had seen all night. I couldn't get enough of it.

"No, not a celebrity, I just get around a lot. I'm not the domestic type, so I don't cook often which leaves me no choice but to eat out." Whew. This lying thing usually came easy for me but I struggled tonight for some reason.

"Well, I happen to be an excellent cook so maybe I can make you dinner sometime," Bella admitted as she picked up the drink menu.

"Is that an invitation because I never turn down a home cooked meal?" I asked, hoping she was asking me out on a date this time.

"Why, yes, I believe it is. Do you have anything special you like to eat?" Oh, I wish she wouldn't have asked me that. The things I was picturing in my head. . . Bella lying naked in my bed with a can of whipped cream and strawberries came to mind. Not to mention a jar of chocolate syrup, dripping it slowly over her whole body, my tongue licking it up ever so slowly. . .

"Did you hear me, Edward?" Shit, she must've said something, and I was too busy fantasizing about us to hear it.

"Sorry, my mind wandered for a second. Could you repeat the question?" Damn, I'd better quit daydreaming.

"That man over at the bar must know you because he's staring a hole through us right now. Do you recognize him?" Bella nodded her head towards the bar at a man who was in his early 20's, with dark hair and was holding up his glass, tipping it our way.

Shit. What the hell was Alec doing here? He was going to ruin my cover for sure. I used him occasionally as one of my drivers, more recently on a drug run we did a few months ago. Emmett and I liked him because he had such a baby face and was so charming, he could talk his way out of anything. By the time I waved back, he was already heading our way. Damn!

"Hey Eddie!" Alec yelled halfway across the bar. Bella smiled and glanced over in my direction. My eyes gave Bella a look that said I'm sorry and she waved her hand like it was no big deal.

I stood up quickly and tried to head him off. I moved in between him and Bella and acted like I shook his hand. What I actually did was whisper to him to not say a word about what I did for a living – at all. Alec got the hint when I squeezed his forearm in a death grip too.

"So, Eddie – who's your pretty companion tonight? Can I buy you a drink Miss?" Alec always hit on beautiful women and he made no exception tonight as well.

Bella started to speak but I cut her off. "I'm paying for Bella's drink. Thanks anyway, Alec. What brings you here?"

"Oh, I'm supposed to meet Brian, you know the guy you hi-," Alec stopped as I stomped on his foot under the table - pretty hard. "I mean, the guy you said hi to when I saw you at the diner the other day." Alec started to say the guy I hired along with him to run our drugs up north, and that is exactly why I didn't want him at our table. He was a motor mouth who didn't know when to shut up.

Bella looked at Alec suspiciously and I needed to change the subject fast. "So, Bella this is Alec, a friend of the family. We were neighbors growing up and went to the same school." All of that information was complete bullshit but she didn't know that.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Alec. I'm Bella Swan." She put her hand out for Alec to shake it and instead he kissed the top of her knuckles. Like I said, he was a charmer.

"Nice to meet you too, Ms. Swan. Now what's a pretty girl like you doing with the likes of ole' Eddie Ma-shiiittt!" This time I had pinched Alec as hard as I could under the table. He couldn't tell Bella my last name just yet. We had only just gone out on our first date and I hoped there would be more. No way was I ready for her to know my identity.

Bella scrunched her eyebrows together and I needed to get her a drink fast. "Bella, what would you like to drink?"

She stared at Alec like he was on something and I asked her again what she wanted to drink.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll just take a glass of Chardonnay, please." I could see the wheels turning in Bella's head and started to get nervous. Hopefully she hadn't figured out who I was yet. Damn Alec!

Alec was still rubbing his thigh where I pinched him when he finally spoke again. "So, Bella, how do you know Edward?" Alec's head turned toward me and his eyebrows were raised as if asking me if it was okay to ask that question. Actually, I'm surprised he said anything at all after the punishment I gave him.

Bella and I just looked over at each other and laughed. "Well, that's quite the funny story. I visited a lingerie store about a month ago and was in the dressing room when I stepped out to look at myself in the mirror. When I did, I swung the door open right into Edward and then collided on top of him in nothing but my bra and panties. Needless to say, it was quite embarrassing!" Bella exclaimed as she put her fingers through her hair.

"Really? Man, that's priceless! I can honestly say I've never heard that one before. Gee, Eddie what were you doing in a women's dressing room - of a lingerie store too, no doubt?" Alec asked.

If I could somehow punch him again, I sure as hell would. I mean, does the guy have no filter on his mouth?

"Uh, well it was, uh –"

"So what do you do for a living, Alec?" Bella tried to save me from embarrassment, which I was thankful for, but her question didn't make me feel too much better. Geez, I needed to get rid of him.

I turned to face him and again, gave him the evil eye. He knew he'd better be making something up pretty damn quick. As he was thinking of something to say, I took my phone out under the table and texted him.

"I, uh, drive cars for a living," he said, not looking at me at all.

"Oh, really? What kind of cars do you drive? Are you a race car driver . . . public transportation or something?" Bella tried to act interested, but I doubted she could care less. She made small talk and this needed to end. It was getting way too uncomfortable.

I texted Alec under the table to find an excuse to leave ASAP.

"Um, I drive a . . . taxi. Yessiree, I'm a taxi driver. I'm currently looking for other work but that's what I'm doing at the moment." Alec's phone buzzed and he picked it up to look at it.

About that time, the server arrived at the table with our drinks. I had ordered a Jack and Coke, and as soon as the server handed it over, I drank it down in one gulp.

"Wow, you must be really thirsty," Bella said as she raised her glass to take a sip.

"Yeah, this heat is really getting to me," I replied. Little did she know, it was in more ways than one.

Alec sat his phone down. "It looks like I got called in to work. Sorry, but I guess I'll have to cut our conversation short." He stood up and scooted his chair out while not taking one second to glance my way.

"Oh, really? Man, that's too bad," I muttered, acting like I was sad to see him leave.

"Well, it was nice meeting you," Bella said, as she stood up to say goodbye.

"Likewise Alec. I'll call you later." That's a promise I intended to keep. The fucker messed in my business and it was beginning to piss me off.

"He was nice. A little on the strange side, though, but nice." Leave it to Bella to be polite.

"Yeah, he must've been drinking here for awhile, I guess. How's your wine?"

"It's great. Edward, I just wanted to tell you again what a wonderful time I've had tonight. You're a lot of fun to hang out with." Even though it was pretty dark in the bar, I could see that she was blushing. Every time her face reddened I became more captivated with this woman – she was so charming and easy to be around.

"I've had a great time too. Thanks for agreeing to let me show you around. Um, would you mind if I asked you out again sometime?" I figured I might as well try my luck while she was in a good mood.

"Yeah, I'd like that a lot." Bella finished up her drink and yawned. It was getting late so I got the bill and left the money on the table.

We arrived back at the art museum around 2:00 am. "Can I give you a lift home or did you drive here?" I didn't want to just dump her off alone in the middle of the night.

"Oh, I have my car parked over on the north side of the museum. I can walk over there." Bella started getting out of the Jeep and I stopped her.

"No way! I'll drive you over there. You're not walking on the other side of the museum at this time of night."

"It's no problem. I can take care of myself, Edward. No need to be so chivalrous, I can handle it." Bella got out of the Jeep again and I hopped out on the other side.

"At least let me walk you over there. It is very late, you know." I didn't know why I was being so persistent because I usually just dumped a girl off, but Bella seemed different.

"It's really not necessary, but I appreciate the gesture." Bella stopped at the side of the car and we stood close together for a few seconds. Our hands rubbed against each other so I grabbed them and kissed her on her knuckles.

"Thanks for agreeing to go out with me, Bella," I whispered. I really wanted to make a move to kiss her good night, but wasn't sure if it was something I should do. For once in my life, I wanted to do things right.

"I'll call you soon, okay?" Boy, Edward, nice clichéd statement. . . With that being said, I bent down and kissed her on the cheek. I figured that was the best move at the moment.

I could feel Bella's breath on my neck for a second and I started to get aroused. My God, if her breathing on me did that, I could only imagine how my body would react to her in bed. "That'd be great. I'd like that."

And just like that, she walked into the dark around the corner. I stayed in the parking lot until I saw a car pull out and drive away. I couldn't tell because it was dark, but I could've sworn it resembled one of C&M's company cars. Oh well, I got in my Jeep and drove home, with a warm feeling in my stomach. That was one of the best nights I've had in a long, long time.

**So, what did everyone think of BxE's first date? Translations are at the bottom for their restaurant visit. Did Bella catch on t****o Alec's ramblings at all? Will Bella find out who she's really dating? **

**We shall see…! Reviews are appreciated so I know what you think of their date. Please!**

**Link to Coral Castle: /**

**Translation:**** (Marco) Edward, my friend. It's been a long time. How've you been? Who is your lovely lady friend?**

**(Edward) ****This is Bella a friend of mine. I wanted to take her to the best restaurant in Miami.**

**(Bella)**** Nice to meet you, Marco. I love your city and I hear your restaurant is great. I'm starving, so what do you recommend?**


	12. Chapter 12

Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just own this story, not the characters.

Rated M for language, illegal activity, sex and violence.

**Chapter 12 - It's About Time**

**BPOV**

It was 9:30 pm, and I closed my eyes for a brief second. They were stinging a little from looking at the blueprints spread out on the desk in my home office.

All of a sudden, my phone started to buzz showing I had a text, which scared the living shit out of me. I glanced over and saw it was Edward. My heart started racing. Three days had passed since our date, and I hoped he would call but he never had.

There was no way in hell I was going to call him first. I didn't want to look needy. Damn, who was I kidding? I was definitely needy and horny as hell - and wanted to jump his bones so bad, it wasn't funny.

Maybe I shouldn't answer the text and give him a taste of his own medicine. No. I couldn't do that because I really, really wanted to see him again. I had one of the best dates of my life the other night and he said it was wonderful as well. So, what the hell was the problem?

After the first night, I thought maybe he lied and didn't have a good time at all. The second night I thought he was in a horrible accident and died. Tonight, I was going to take his number out of my phone. I waited about fifteen minutes before I answered him. No need for him to think I was just waiting around for him to get in touch with me. Picking up the phone, I looked to see what he had to say for himself.

**Hi Bella, it's me Edward. Hope you don't mind me texting you this late.**

**-E**

**Hi Edward. Nice to hear from you. That's okay, I'm still up. What's on your mind?**

**-B**

I didn't want to sound like a bitch, but _three days_? Come on! Wasn't the rule two days at the most? Crap. I think that was MY rule . . .

**Just thought I'd see what you were up to. I've been thinking a lot about you. Thanks for letting me take you out the other night.**

**-E**

Great, he was being nice. Why did it take him so long to tell me that? Hell, why do I care? I couldn't be getting involved in a relationship when I was on a job anyway.

**Been thinking of you too. Thank you for driving me around and showing me the town. Miami is an awesome place to live so far. What have you been doing?**

**-B**

I knew that was a loaded question but I was curious. Maybe I should have said: What the HELL have you been doing for the last THREE days? I sure as hell didn't want him to know I'd been grabbing my cell like a crazy person every time it rang.

**Well, a friend of mine passed away a couple days ago. He didn't have any family in the area so I had to take care of the arrangements. I'm sorry I hadn't been in touch with you sooner. **

**-E**

Ah, hell. He had to go and make me feel bad. Now I felt like complete shit for thinking all of those bad thoughts. All this time had gone by and he was burying a family friend? What kind of a person am I?

**OMG, I am so sorry to hear that. My condolences. Is there anything I can do?**

**-B**

I waited quite a few minutes for his reply. Maybe he got busy with something else.

**Sorry again. Someone was at my door. I just didn't want you to think I forgot about you because I didn't. Actually, I'd really like to see you again. **

**-E**

The little girl inside me started screaming inside. Yes! And to think I had almost given up on him and deleted his number. Idiot.

**Same here! It sounds like you've had a rough couple of days. How would you like to come over to my place for dinner****, Thursday night? Do you have any plans?**

**-B**

**Hmm . . . Let me think for a minute. Nope, my schedule is free and clear. Are you sure it's not a bother? I don't want to put you out or anything.**

**-E**

Is this guy for real? He seems like such a gentlemen, and the guys I had dated lately – well, I hadn't dated any guys lately, but the ones I had in the past were not this nice.

**No bother at all. Do you like Italian food? As you may remember, it's my favorite and I'm a pretty good cook if I may say so myself. I did promise you a home-cooked meal.**

**-B**

My heart started fluttering a little with the thought that Edward would be in my home in a couple days. I needed to get a grip. It had just been so long since I had been with a guy, I was a little horny and frustrated. Not to mention he was drop dead gorgeous!

**I love Italian food too. I'll bring the wine. Now all I need is your address mi bella dama. (That's "my beautiful lady" in case your friend didn't teach you that). **

**-E**

What a charmer. He knew I spoke Spanish, and speaking of which, I was glad I pulled that one off the other night. I quickly thought of an imaginary Spanish friend who I hung around to learn most of it. I didn't think he'd go for me just taking a couple of years of it in college.

Normally, I didn't go giving out my address to just anyone, especially a date, without researching the hell out of him. I had just been so busy with both of my jobs, and the fact I didn't want my father knowing I was dating someone - if I could even call it that yet. So, I did a quick Google search and ran his name through the FBI database but came up with nothing. Tons of Edward Anthony's came up, but no one that fit his description; I assumed he just didn't have anything that interesting in his background or his personal life that was Google-worthy.

**Are you familiar with the Marina Blue condos near the arena? If so, I am in condo #3310. How does 7:00 sound?**

**-B**

**7:00 is great and I know exactly where those condos are. See you then, Bella. I really can't wait to spend time with you again. **

**-E**

I grinned and laid the phone down on the desk. Edward was coming over to my place, and I got a warm feeling in my stomach. It had been a long time since I had these giddy feelings; I almost felt like a girl with a high school crush!

However, getting back to reality, I needed to get Edward out of my head for the time being and re-focus on Emmett's office. Time was getting away from me, and I still needed to sort out this security system.

The cameras in Emmett's office were situated in obscure places, and it was going to be difficult to disconnect the wires and bypass the main system. The room had laser beams crisscrossing the floor at different intervals and to turn them off, I needed Emmett's fingerprints to break the code of the security box. All of this security for a CEO's office who sells exotic cars? _Puh-lease._ Anyone could tell there was more going on here then selling cars just by how rigged up his office was!

My security card would gain me access to the building, and then I had the FBI's software program to install on Em's computer. It would allow me to hack into his database without his knowledge and be able to view their inner dealings with the drug business they had going on the side. I knew I would be risking the security system going off because it was probably on a timer, but I'd definitely been in tighter situations.

One of my first jobs with the FBI was to pose as a girlfriend of a wealthy businessman who was interested in buying illegal weapons. We had been staking out the alleged arms dealers for months and the actual job was only supposed to take an hour. My wealthy boyfriend, who was undercover as well, and I went to this elaborate party set up by the supposed criminals, it was going to be a quick, in & out scheme to hack into their computer. We would gather the evidence we needed to bring them down and go home.

Little did we know that the location of the party was to be changed at the last minute, and all of the research we did of the original building was all for nothing. With a quick de-briefing of schematics for the new locale, we went in with quite a disadvantage. After mingling with most of the party-goers, we finally got a chance to sneak out to accomplish our goal. Right in the middle of downloading the evidence on our flash drive, my partner and I were suddenly met with five guys who were carrying Uzi's. _Small problem._ We must have tripped off a sensor. Needless to say, we had the fight of our lives, but all of our hard training paid off, and we came out unscathed in the end. Not to mention a few dead guys along the way.

The FBI puts in quite a bit of time to train their students on how to kill the bad guys. Not only are we trained physically to protect ourselves, but we equally train as hard to physically harm someone who is attacking us. After that comes the mental training. Not everyone had an easy time making their first kill, no matter how criminal the person. Taking a life could not be taken lightly, and we were to try our hardest to prevent that from happening. If not, then protect yourself at all costs. It was mentally tasking for me on my first kill – I had no choice as I was in quite the predicament.

_**Flashback - 3 years ago **_

_I looked at the address one more time above the hanging, broken door. It was surprising the numbers were still on such a dilapidated building, but when I checked the piece of paper in my hand, it was definitely correct. Working undercover for six months posing as the prostitute Mandy, my "fake" john had me meeting a client in the worst of neighborhoods. Actually, it wasn't just a client, but "the" client we had been trying to nail all this time. Six long months of getting the local prostitutes to trust me and give up information about the head of one of the biggest child prostitution rings in the States was coming to a close._

_My superiors had given me a time limit on this case, and I exceeded that by three weeks already. Time was of the essence, so I was glad the client had agreed to meet me. My partner on this case, my john, had arranged it through months of intel and finally I was going to bust the asshole. Unfortunately, it had to be in the shittiest of all places. It was weird, because if the guy was the head of this whole thing, why would he have met me in the ghetto for a screw?_

_Walking up to the busted door, I knocked three times. Slowly, I heard footsteps approaching, and a young girl answered the door. She looked strung out, with dark circles under her eyes and straggly hair hanging off her shoulders. If I were guessing, she was probably all of fourteen years old and had been hooked on drugs for awhile._

"_Yes, I'm here to see Victor. I'm Mandy, he's expecting me," I said while staring at her ashen face._

"_Yeah, he's expecting you." She looked me up and down and then muttered, "You're a bit old for him. I don't think he's going to like this one bit." Then she blew a bubble with the wad of gum she was chewing in her mouth and turned around._

_She ushered me down a dark hallway to a back bedroom which was furnished with nothing but a bed and a chair. _

"_He'll be here in a minute. Make yourself comfortable." She winked and popped another bubble._

_I looked at my watch and knew the place was surrounded with undercover cops and FBI. They weren't making a move until I gave the signal which was a flare gun out the window. After a few minutes, a man came in the bedroom who I assumed was Victor._

_He shut and locked the door behind him and pulled the chair close to the bed._

"_Please sit down, Miss Mandy. I like all my girls to feel comfortable. Now take off your clothes, slowly please." Wow, Mr. Victor didn't waste much time. I had to get him to confess to having sex with underage girls, so I couldn't waste too much time either. _

"_I hope you don't mind my age, sir," I apologized, sounding as young as I could. "The girl at the door said you might be upset. My john just told me to meet you here, and I wasn't aware you had an age preference."_

"_Hmm, your John knew exactly what my preference was, but he still sent you. I know all about you, Mandy, and word has it that you've been snooping in my business. Just for the record, I don't like it, so I'm about to show you what happens when someone messes with me." Victor stood up, took off his belt and began to grab me, assumingly to tie me up with it._

_About that time, I grabbed for my knife hidden in my garter belt under the mini skirt I wore. I flicked it open and his eyes opened a little wider. Slowly, a smirk appeared across his face. "Oh, little Miss Mandy wants to play rough, huh? I think I'm going to enjoy this."_

_He lunged towards me, and before I knew what happened, I plunged it right into his gut. _

"_Shit, shit, shit. This was not the plan; this is not how this was supposed to go," I whispered to myself and whipped out my gun to fire off the warning shot. Within seconds, sirens were blaring and the front door was being slung open. Girls were screaming from other rooms in the shack and men were running out of doors with their pants half on. _

_My superior was first to arrive in the bedroom and saw me hovered over Victor's body. I felt for a pulse but there was none. Apparently, I had plunged the knife into his liver and lacerated it in half. It all happened so fast, and I was explaining the situation to my boss when he interrupted me._

"_Bella, it's fine, calm down. Things like this are going to occur. I know this is your first death to deal with and hopefully it's the last. However, with the line of work we're in, it's part of the job." My boss understood and with Victor's death, we brought down the biggest child prostitution ring in the States. It was quite an accomplishment, and I had received a medal of commendation, but my first kill will always be an everlasting memory._

**Present**

Breaking in to Emmett's office seemed like small potatoes compared to that night, but it still would be a difficult job. He had his office rigged as tight as Ft. Knox. I was going to have to pull a Tom Cruise wire act to get this information and time was a-tickin'.

Rolling up the blueprints, I threw a rubber band around them and set them aside. My eyes hurt now, and I needed a good night's rest so I could focus on the job I had to do tomorrow.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The plan was set in motion, and now all I had to do was get ready for Rose's party, show up, and then pretend to forget her present back at the office. If I needed more time, I could always pull the flat tire trick. Before I dozed off last night, it hit me how to bypass the code. I just needed to collect Emmett's fingerprints and it would be a cinch. I'd just lift them from his bar glass tonight.

Walking into the restaurant, wearing my black mini-skirt and black blouse, I spotted the gang right away. Who could miss the black balloons tied up in the corner? Alice thought it would be a great idea to do an "over-the-hill" party for Rose even though she was only turning 27. Everyone I could see at the table had on all black - even Emmett. Time to put my plan in action.

"Hey, everyone! I take it the guest of honor isn't here yet?" I asked, taking a seat next to my big, burly victim.

Emmett stood up to pull my chair out. "What's up, Marie? Glad you could make it. We're waiting on the birthday girl. Alice told her to be here an hour after everyone else."

Speaking of Alice, she bounced up behind me and nearly scared me half to death. "Hello, hello! My, you look gorgeous tonight! I'm so glad you're here. Everything is going according to the plan. We just need Rose, she should be here in about 30 minutes." Alice started clapping her hands together, jumping up and down. I swore the girl drank Red Bull all day.

"Hey, you took off pretty quickly the other day after lunch. What gives?" Alice asked. Seriously, was she was an inquisitor in another life?

"Well, I kind of had a date," I confessed, but glad she asked because I'd wanted to tell someone about it.

"Really? And you're just telling me this now? You'd better spill, girl!" Alice pulled up a chair and sat right in front of me. "And don't leave out one single detail!"

I told Alice my story about our whole night; from what he drove, to what he wore and where we went. She wasn't kidding about wanting to know everything!

"So, did he kiss you good night?"

"Not exactly. He kissed my hand and then my cheek. It was quite romantic, actually." I mumbled the last part, not wanting her to think I was too mushy.

"That is one of the coolest dates I've ever heard about . . . wow. What did you say his name was again?" Alice picked up her drink and took a sip. I noticed her looking over my shoulder for more guests.

"Edward Anthony," I responded, as I peeked around Alice and noticed Emmett's drink was almost gone.

"Hmm, and what does he do for a living?" she inquired. Man, why didn't we talk about that? Oh, I know. Because I didn't want him to ask what I did for a living either.

I stood up and pressed my skirt down. "Not sure. We didn't get around to asking each other that. However, I invited him over for dinner tomorrow night and he accepted. I can't wait! For some reason, I feel like I'm back in high school all over again. Is that crazy?"

"Not at all. Do you have the little butterfly feeling in your stomach when you're around him? I hear some of my girlfriends say that when they meet 'the one.' It's never happened for me yet." Alice looked down at the floor and I suddenly felt sorry for her. I knew she wanted a boyfriend pretty badly, but she just hadn't found the right one yet.

"Come to think of it, I did feel that way at the end of the date. I thought I was just nervous because he was getting ready to kiss me, but maybe it was the anticipation of it. I'm not sure." I did know that I needed to quit yapping to my girlfriend about my date because I had some serious work to get done.

I glanced over and just my luck, Emmett's glass was empty so, being the nice employee I am, I offered to get him another one.

"Whatcha drinkin', Em? I need a drink too, so I'll get yours refilled." I stood up to go towards the bar. The music was quite loud for a restaurant which I was going to use to my advantage.

"Um, okay, thanks. I was drinking a vodka tonic. You sure you don't want me to get it? I don't mind." Emmett started to rise, but I put my hand up quickly.

"What was that you said?" I asked, pretending not to hear because of the loud music.

"I asked if you wanted me to get it," Emmett informed me, as he cupped his mouth as if that would help me hear him.

"No, no, I don't mind. Not a problem. Be right back." Standing up at the bar, I told the bartender to get me a Cosmopolitan and a gin and tonic. Gin had a very different taste than vodka and I hoped my plan was going to work. I took out a cloth I had in my bag and wiped down his glass. Then, I held on to it from the bottom.

"Here you go, sir," I handed Em his drink and he took a gulp of it.

The look on his face was priceless! He crinkled his nose up and furrowed his eyebrows. "What is this?" he whispered hoarsely, moving the drink across the table.

"What, isn't it what you ordered, a gin and tonic?" I asked, feigning a shameful face.

"Noooo, a vodka tonic is what I asked for," Emmett emphatically stated.

"Oh, so sorry. My bad. Be right back then." I grabbed the glass at the bottom and headed towards the end of the bar so I was out of sight. I took out my special tape, held the glass up to the light to see the fingerprint, and put the tape right over it. Voila! One fingerprint good to go. I put the tape in a small box I had in my purse, and got the right drink and went back to join the party.

Alice came over and said everything was in order for later. She had paid for a special deejay and once Rosalie arrived, he was to play Happy Birthday and had a whole other slew of songs we had picked out from our meeting the other day.

Looking at my watch, I noticed the time was nearing for me to head out to get the forgotten present.

"Oh, my gosh, Alice! I just noticed the gifts on the table over there. I left mine on my desk. Would you mind terribly if I just ran over to the office real quick and got it? It won't take too long, I swear." If it took more than five minutes, I knew Alice would have my head, but hopefully she would bite.

"What? You can't leave now. She'll be here in fifteen minutes! Just wait until she gets here, please." Damn, she was persistent. I really wanted to go and get this over with. Maybe it was best I waited for her to arrive; I knew Emmett wouldn't leave the party with Rose here, so I guess I could wait another few minutes.

Thirty minutes went by before she showed up. Whether or not Rose was surprised, I couldn't be sure, but I knew I had to get the hell out of dodge because I had lots of work to do. I walked up to Alice and whispered in her ear I was leaving and would be back shortly. She nodded and I dashed out of there.

I arrived at the office in record time and put my plan into motion. One of the first things I did was change out of my damn heels! I threw on a pair of sneakers and headed up to Emmett's office. Last week, I had broken open the fuse box of Emmett's cameras, which were located in the electronics room outside of his office. He and I were the only ones in the building one night, but he didn't know I was there. I had snuck in the room, pulled some wires and made it look like a fuse had blown. That disabled the video feed outside his office so there was no way to tell of anyone coming in or out. I heard Emmett talking to Alice last week about a new electronics company coming out to look at it, but also knew they hadn't done the work yet.

After putting the tape across the security box, it beeped and the door clicked open. Eureka!

The next step: hack into Em's computer. Putting on my gloves, I pushed in my flash drive, opened up the CD slot and stuck in the software to hack into his database. It took around ten minutes for the software to install − and get through his passwords, but once it did, I immediately downloaded all the files in his computer. I knew this would take another few minutes, so I searched through his desk drawers to look for anything suspicious.

Most of them were locked up tight, but a couple of them weren't. There wasn't much of anything in there, and I was about to shut the drawers when a file caught my eye. It was marked Franchetti. I recognized the name from the bust a few weeks ago, and took my small camera out of my bag. Snapping pics on every page, I closed the file and gently put it back where I found it. About that time, I noticed the files were done downloading, so I grabbed up my flash drive and put everything back the way I had found it.

I put the tape over the security box again which locked the door.

Thirty-seven minutes. That's how long it took to break inside Em's office and hack into his system. I just prayed he had some good intel on his work computer because if not, that was a waste of time.

Popping open my trunk, I pulled out Rose's gift. I made it back to the party in record time with gift in hand and everyone was out on the dance floor. The music was thumping and our picked-out tunes were playing, so I made my way over to dance with them. The deejay sounded awesome, and I could use some time to cut loose.

Em and Rose were practically humping each other, and I started to feel sad for her. If she only knew what he really did on the side, she wouldn't be getting so close to him. She didn't seem like the kind of girl who let people in that easily and once she found out, she'd drop him like a hot potato

Alice, Em and Rose looked up and waved me over while they were getting their groove on. It felt good to bump and grind with the rest of them, and I suddenly wished Edward were here to dance against me. His body would feel so warm next to mine and I could imagine how hard his body would feel. As I closed my eyes, I kept swaying to the music and images of a now naked Edward standing behind me, groping me from the top of my neck down to the bottom of my ass made me all hot and bothered.

I was awakened from my daydream when Alice started shouting.

"Okay, everyone! Time for the birthday girl to cut her cake and open her presents!" A perky Alice was a sight to behold. She could really gather an audience.

We gathered around our table and the cake was brought out. Rose blew out the candles after making a long wish as Emmett had the biggest grin on his face. It didn't take a genius to guess what she had wished for.

"I want to thank everyone for coming tonight. It really means a lot to me – and I especially want to thank Alice for all the black in the room. It's not like I'm 30 or anything!" We all laughed and Rose started opening up her gifts.

She received lots of great gifts, which included a beautiful heart pendant from Emmett. Someone was definitely getting laid tonight. You could tell she just wanted to jump across everyone and lay one on him, but Rose was one for keeping appearances.

At the end of the night, we all gave hugs and went our separate ways – at least most of us did. Emmett and Rose were the last to leave and we acted like we didn't notice.

As for myself, I thought about tomorrow night and having a man in my apartment for the first time – a man who I actually see myself dating. I couldn't wait!

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	13. Chapter 13

I don't own anything Twilight-ish. Stephenie Meyer does.

Rated M for language, illegal activity, sex and violence.

**Warning: This chapter contains graphic material of the gruesome kind. Please read with caution if you are bothered by gore.**

**Chapter 13 – ****Lost and Found**

EPOV

The water was a little cooler than I expected as I swam my last lap in the pool. The temperature outside was a record breaking 96 degrees - pretty hot for the middle of March, even for southern Florida.

My pool stayed a consistent 81 degrees year round, thanks to the solar heating on my roof. I had very specific tastes, and my staff was well-versed in the detailed instructions I gave of how to run my household. My lawn had to be mowed at a thirty-degree angle, my closet was arranged by color first, article of clothing second, and type of fabric, third. My books were arranged by author's last name in the library.

So, I would have to admit I was a little OCD. It developed after my mother left me to fend for myself and had just stuck ever since. If I were to see a psychologist, I knew exactly what they would tell me. My compulsive tendencies replaced the loss of my mother's love and attention or some stupid shit like that. I just knew how I wanted my stuff to look, and I liked things neat and clean. Plain and simple.

Hopping out of the pool, I grabbed a towel from the outside closet. Twenty-five laps every other day was not only refreshing, but kept my body in great shape. Plus it helped me think. There was a lot of thinking going on lately too. The past three days had been hell and I'd needed to make some changes in my organization.

Not that I particularly wanted to, but circumstances were such that I had no other options. It all started after my date with Bella . . .

**Three Days ago **

_I had one hell of a date with Bella __, and I couldn't quit thinking about her. She was witty, charming, and sexy as hell, plus I wanted to see her again. I tried to wrap my brain around that, because I only liked women for one thing, and I didn't even get that one thing from her yet. When I tried to figure out what it meant, my maid came out to tell me I had a phone call._

_I picked up my home phone while going over some paperwork. "Masen here." _

_A very muffled voice spoke up on the other end. "I know where Sonny Franchetti is."_

"_Speak up, asshole. I can barely hear you. What did you say?" I heard what the man said on the other line, but I needed to hear the voice again to try and determine who it might be._

"_You heard me. Pier 31, boat slot number five." I rummaged through my desk drawer, trying to find something to write with._

"_Who is this? Is this a wild goose chase? If so, I'm gonna track your ass down . . ."_

_I heard a long sigh on the other end. "The longer you keep me on the phone; there'll be less of a body to identify."_

_Click._

"_Shit!" I yelled to no one and threw the phone down. _

_I stood up and started pacing in my office. Did this mean he's already dead or did I have time to save him? If he was in a boat slot it didn't sound very good. Damn, I needed to do something, fast. Running out the door, I grabbed my keys and cell phone, all the while wondering if Sonny was fighting to stay alive._

_Thank God I had a Maserati at my disposal, because I drove like a bat out of hell to the pier. I had called Em and Jasper on my way there in case I needed any help or back-up. The security guard at the docks waved me through as I flashed my membership badge, because I had a few boats docked here and was in and out quite a bit._

_Whipping the Maserati in front of Pier 31, I ran as fast as my legs would take me to slot five. As I was almost there, I saw some headlights behind me, assuming Jazz and Emmett were arriving too. When I made my way up the steps and down the long deck, I could barely make out a pair of hands tied around a pole that led into the water._

_There was that feeling of dread again, and I swallowed hard as I got closer to what I knew now was Sonny's body. Footsteps got louder on the dock as I tried to pull up his body from the chilly water. _

"_Hold on, Ed, we're coming!" shouted Emmett, running briskly towards me._

"_Take your time, Em. There's no rush, now." I decided to wait until they got there to lift him all the way out, because I felt his pulse already and by the looks of what was left of him, there was no point – he was dead._

_Em and Jazz had made it over to me and said simultaneously, "Oh my God!" _

_They squatted down beside me and we lifted what was left of Sonny onto the dock. As soon as we laid him down, I turned my head and vomited profusely. Jasper and Emmett were not far behind me. Unfortunately, I think I triggered them to puke as well._

_Standing up, I wiped my mouth off with the back of my hand and spat a few times. _

"_Holy, hell! I haven't seen anything that bad in awhile. Looks like he's been here for quite some time, huh?" Jazz put his hands through his hair and blew out a long sigh._

_Emmett was still bent over, wiping his mouth off too. "My God, what he must have went through. I can only hope he was dead before they put him in here, but I'm sure they weren't that merciful."_

_There was nothing left of Sonny but a torso. His legs were all but chewed off; obviously eaten by the fish in the ocean. His eyes were bugged out of his head and his neck was gnawed on with nothing but bits of tissue hanging here and there. We could tell it was Sonny by the tattoo he had on the inside of his left wrist of his baby girl._

"_Fuckers are so going down, man," I mumbled as I held my arm up on the post. Something caught my eye, and I turned around, noticing a picture tacked to the side rail. I ripped it off and pulled my lighter from my pocket._

"_What the hell is that?" Em asked, as he stood up and walked over to get a closer look._

_Jasper leaned in, and I flicked the lighter to get a better look._

_There in the picture was Johnny Franchetti, alive but hand-less. At the end of his arms were stumps wrapped in once- white gauze. Blood had seeped through it and the look on his face was pure agony. In his lap was a sign that read "You're next."_

"_What the fuck does that mean? Which one of us is next?" Jasper asked, grabbing the photo out of my hand._

"_I think that's pretty obvious, dickhead. It's me. I'm the one who got the call to come down here, not you or Em," I informed him, pulling out the cigarettes from my back pocket. I lit one up and took a long drag, blowing the smoke up into the air._

"_Man, who did you piss off this bad? We obviously tread on someone's territory." Emmett was a little pale and squatted down on the dock._

"_Let's get Sonny out of here. You guys got anything in your trunk to put him in?" I asked._

_Jasper hesitated for a second. "I have a couple of shopping bags I can take the clothes out of, I guess. There's also a beach towel thrown in the back seat we can use. We're going to need gloves, so I'm getting those too." Jazz took off for his car and I looked over at Emmett._

"_Well, there's not much left of him so that'll work. Think we should call Angel?" I asked. Angel was their father and I wasn't sure I wanted him to know we found his body. He knew us well, but in this matter, he may not be too forgiving – especially if he thought someone was after me and used his son to do it._

_Emmett spoke up, "If it was my son, I'd want to know. But then again, I don't know if I'd want to see him like this either." It was quiet for a minute, and I could tell Emmett had something else he wanted to say. "It was never supposed to be like this, Ed. When we first started out, it was to make some cash to open our dream store. We surpassed that dream years ago, yet here we are in this kind of mess. I knew things would get difficult and it has; but we've kept things together and managed both businesses to be the best."_

_I inhaled my last drag and threw it out in the water as I blew out the last puff of smoke. "What are you getting at, Emmett? Spit it out."_

_Emmett stood with his back towards me, staring out into the water. "This is getting way out of hand. Sticky situations have arisen and we've gotten around them. We threaten people with guns, even had to dispose of one or two really bad guys along the way. But the predicament we're in now scares the hell out of me. It's like someone has got a vendetta against you−real bad."_

_I stood next to Emmett looking down at my now floating cigarette in the water. "I know. Don't think I'm taking this lightly because I realize how this looks. I've been going over and over in my head who hates me this bad or who we've pissed off lately and frankly, I'm at a dead end. Most of our competition would just shoot us and that's it. This person is diabolical, man."_

_We heard footsteps behind us and turned around to see Jazz with a set of gloves and a package of what looked like surgical masks._

"_What are those for? Where did you get them? In your car?" I asked, grabbing them out of his hands._

"_These have been in my trunk since I had to bury my dog last year. The smell was atrocious so I bought a bunch. I don't want to smell anything like that again, and man, you know he's going to stink, bad." Jazz handed a mask and some gloves to Emmett too._

"_All right. Let's think about what to do with him on the way home and just get his body in the car." Jazz nodded, and we grabbed what was left of Sonny and put him in Jazz's trunk. We did a three way call on the way back, deciding what to do with the body._

"_No way in hell I'd want to see my brother or son looking like that. I think we just need to bury him and go on." Jasper said on the other end of the line as I turned a corner._

_Emmett breathed quite heavily on the other line, obviously the stress was getting to him. "I agree. He does need a proper burial and maybe in due time, we can let the family know, but right now, let's just get him a decent grave. We'll talk to Angel Franchetti later and decide about Johnny as well. At least we know he's alive and we might be able to save him. We're going to need a plan though – apparently these guys aren't going to stop until they get their message across, whatever that is, and I don't feel like ending up like Sonny anytime soon."_

"_Let's get to the cemetery then. Take a right at the next light and then over the hill. We owe Sonny that at least and we'll deal with the fallout later." I lit up another cigarette as I shifted in third gear._

**Present**

As I sat at the patio table, I wrote a list of potential people in my organization who could want me dead. Fortunately, the list wasn't too long. A longer list was our competition; various families, organizations or gangs we'd either stolen some business from or screwed a couple of their girlfriends.

Speaking of screwing a girlfriend, Victoria showed up the night after we discovered Sonny. It was strange for her to come over to my house, because she had only been over a couple times before. I was the one to go over and visit her when I had the urge for sex, not the other way around.

I had slept for sixteen hours straight the night after burying Sonny. Jazz, Em and I dug for a few hours near the cemetery until it was deep enough to put his body. I didn't know it was such hard work and my muscles ached so bad, I was exhausted. After getting up, showering and making myself some lunch, my doorbell rang. Margarita, my maid, came back to the kitchen to tell me a young woman was there to see me.

When I walked to the front door, Victoria stood there in a very see-through dress, revealing a lot of cleavage as well. Her fiery red hair blew in the wind. It had been quite some time since I'd seen her.

"Well, hello, Vic. Long time no see," I mumbled while chewing on my sandwich. I opened the door for her to come in, and she walked through the living room and sat on the couch.

"Hello, lover." Victoria traced a finger down my chest with her long fingernail and pulled me down on the couch. I stumbled a bit and fell beside her.

Sitting my sandwich down on the end table, I turned back towards her, knowing full well why she was over here to visit.

"What brings you over here? I know you've been out of town for awhile. You miss me?" I laughed when she pulled me closer and smashed her lips to mine. That was the thing about Victoria, she didn't waste any time.

It had been a few weeks since I had any action, so I was just as frustrated as she seemed to be. The last couple of days had me so stressed out; I was in need of some definite release. This was how it was with her and me. We used each other for one thing and always left satisfied.

The next thing I knew, clothes were being thrown off, I was putting a condom on and we were panting up against the wall. Her screams were muffled by my hand over her mouth, and I followed up by my own moans.

Afterwards, we put our clothes on, and I asked her if she was hungry.

"Yeah, I could eat something now, I guess. I kind of worked up an appetite." She grinned and followed me into the kitchen, sitting on a barstool.

I fixed her a sandwich, and we sat and talked for a bit. I think she noticed something was off about me because she spoke up about it.

"What's bothering you, Edward? You look a little tense. Usually after our sessions, you're much more relaxed. Did I not work my magic on you today?" She purred, running her leg up against mine, probably ready to go at it again.

Victoria knew about C&M, but not about my drug business. I put my hand on her thigh, rubbing her leg and raising her dress in the process. I was contemplating another round when my phone started ringing.

"Damn, I'd better get that. Excuse me for a minute." Looking down at the phone, I saw that it was Emmett. I moved into the dining room off of the kitchen and spoke in a lower voice.

"Emmett, what can I do for you?" I muttered.

"Dude, I think we should call a meeting between the three of us to figure out a plan on how to stop the psychotic nut job that's out to kill you." Emmett warned on the other end of the phone.

"I'm working on it, Em. I've been making up a list of potential Edward-haters and I'm narrowing it down. You and Jasper need to make a list as well so we can compare them. To tell you the truth though, I'm comin' up with zilch. No one I can think of is as a deranged lunatic as this guy. I mean, who goes around cutting off someone's balls, someone's hands, and then feeds _people_ to fish?" I questioned, pacing with my hand running through my hair.

"Some sicko, that's who. Let's meet tomorrow at ten in the morning. Cool?" Emmett waited for me to reply, which I did, and then he hung up.

I went back into the kitchen and caught Victoria walking back toward the barstool. Weird. She put her hair behind her ears and took a drink of her soda.

"Hey, everything okay?" Victoria asked, pulling her phone from her purse. She clicked on a couple things and mumbled.

"Uh, yeah everything's fine." I lied, suddenly wanting to get rid of her. My needs met for the night, I really just wanted to settle down and collect my thoughts.

"Well, Edward, I need to get going. Thanks for the sandwich – and earlier. It was great as always. I look forward to the next time." Victoria reached down, grabbed her purse and headed towards the front door. She seemed ready to get out of here all of a sudden.

Thoughts of Bella ran through my head. We hadn't slept together. Hell, I hadn't even kissed her yet, and I felt a little guilty about what just happened with Victoria. What the hell was wrong with me? I liked sex – a lot, and couldn't just cut myself off cold turkey.

"Yeah, sounds great, Vic. I'll call you soon." We both knew that wasn't happening but I said it anyway.

My mind snapped me back to the present. Margarita had left for the day but not before making my dinner and putting it in the oven. She had made my favorite, beef wellington, but I hadn't been too hungry lately.

My mind kept picturing Johnny and Sonny and the whole Franchetti family. Were we total assholes for not telling Angel about his sons? Probably, but we also did them a favor. Their whole family could be killed, and Angel had four daughters as well. No, we did the right thing. That didn't mean we had to like our decision, just live with it. Time flew by and before I knew it, it was going on nine-thirty pm. My thoughts went to Bella as they'd been for the last few days. I just hadn't had time to call her with Sonny's burial, Victoria's visit, and our little team meeting yesterday. Nothing much got discussed there except a lot of drinking. Em, Jazz and I got toasted after comparing our lists, which were pretty much dead on with each other's.

Picking up the phone, I texted her, hoping she hadn't deleted me out of her contact list. Damn, it'd been three days since our date; she probably thought I'd forgotten all about her. I hadn't of course, but things were hectic lately.

**Hi Bella, it's me Edward. Hope you don't mind me texting you this late.**

**-E**

A few minutes went by and nothing. Yep, she's pissed. Wonder if she'll answer . . .

_Buzz_

**Hi Edward. Nice to hear from you. That's okay, I'm still up. What's on your mind?**

**-B**

What's on my mind? What the hell kind of question is that? Man, she was frigid even over the phone lines. This was going to take a lot of smoothing over.

**Just thought I'd see what you were up to. I've been thinking a lot about you. Thanks for letting me take you out the other night.**

**-E**

Kill her with kindness, Eddie boy. Nice guy gets the knickers. Ha. Isn't that what they say in England or something? Okay, maybe not.

**Been thinking of you too. Thank you for driving me around and showing me the town. Miami is an awesome place to live so far. What have you been doing?**

**-B**

Hmmm . . . what have I been doing? Burying my associate. Fucking the neighbor girl down the street. Making a list of who the hell wants me dead. Might as well tell her part of the truth, anyway.

**Well, a friend of mine passed away a couple days ago. He didn't have any family in the area so I had to take care of the arrangements. I'm sorry I hadn't been in touch with you sooner. **

**-E**

Her response didn't take long.

**OMG, I am so sorry to hear that. My condolences. Is there anything I can do?**

**-B**

_Ding dong. _Whothe hell is at my door this time of night? I got up and sauntered over to where the security monitors were in my office. The ones I had installed after the first threat was an awesome thing. I could see everything and everyone now. Oh, fuck my life. Eleazar. Great.

My feet slowly took me to the front door and I opened it, keeping the chain locked.

"Hello, Eleazar. What can I do for you?" I asked, peeping out of the slit in the door.

"Open, up asshole. I need to speak with you about something. It's important." Eleazar all but stuck his foot in my door so I shut it, unchaining the slide lock.

"Come in. I'm just finishing up something, so I'll be right back." I halfway ignored him, getting back to my sexy Lingerie Girl.

I texted Bella back.

**Sorry again. Someone was at my door. I just didn't want you to think I forgot about you because I didn't. Actually, I'd really like to see you again. **

**-E**

I glanced a look at him over my shoulder, and he seemed nervous and agitated for some reason. Damn. Tanya probably told him we broke up or some stupid shit like that. We weren't even together in the first place; she always thought she had some claim on me because we were regular fuck buddies. At least Victoria didn't act that way.

**Same here! It sounds like you've had a rough couple of days. How would you like to come over to my place for dinner Thursday night? Do you have any plans?**

**-B**

She must have something to do tomorrow night. I was supposed to meet with Emmett about moving the drug paraphernalia out of our warehouses on the south side. We like to switch up our storage units in case the Feds were ever on to us. It shouldn't be a problem to postpone the meeting – hell, Emmett was going to a lame birthday party tomorrow night for his dream chick so I could change my plans too, I guessed.

**Hmm . . . Let me think for a minute. Nope, my schedule is free and clear. Are you sure it's not a bother? I don't want to put you out or anything.**

**-E**

**No bother at all. Do you like Italian food? As you may remember, it's my favorite and I'm a pretty good cook if I may say so myself. I did promise you a home-cooked meal.**

**-B**

I did love home cooked meals. I really wasn't home enough for Margarita to cook for me, so I ate out a lot. Thanks to Victoria, I wasn't as horny anymore, but it didn't stop me from thinking about doing some very bad things to Bella. However, for some reason, I didn't want to take advantage of her like that. She seemed different than the girls I usually dated. She was confident but self-effacing at the same time.

**I love Italian food too. I'll bring the wine. Now all I need is your address mi bella dama. (That's "my beautiful lady" in case your friend didn't teach you that). **

**-E**

**Are you familiar with the Marina Blue condos near the arena? If so, I am in condo #3310. How does 7:00 sound?**

**-B**

In the other room, I heard a cough. Damn, I forgot Eleazar was here. I got too caught up talking to Bella. Marina Blue . . . I think that was the place where we suggested for new employees to move since it was close to C&M.

**7:00 is great and I know exactly where those condos are. See you then, Bella. I really can't wait to spend time with you again. **

**-E**

Yeah, I was a suck up. So what? Now to see what Eleazar wanted. I could hardly wait.

When I walked around the corner into the front living room, I watched as Eleazar paced back and forth, sweating and wringing his hands together.

"So, what's this about, Eleazar? Do you have a handle on a new supplier yet?" I questioned him, but his head was still down and he shook a little.

"When's the last time you saw Tanya, Edward? What did you talk about? Did you have a fight? What did you do to her?" Eleazar's voice rose with each question he asked.

He glared at me and his teeth were showing even when he quit talking.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Why the twenty questions?" I asked.

All of a sudden, he charged at me, his right arm already reared back and ready to take a swing. I ducked and spun around while shouting at him. "Eleazar! What the hell is your problem? I don't know anything about Tanya!" I was ready to block another shot when he took his hands and pushed me into the wall.

"I swear to God, Edward, if you did anything to her, I will blow your fucking head off!" Eleazar growled and pulled his arms off me as I shoved him backwards. He fell onto the floor, and I got on top of him to hold him down.

"Please, for the love of God, tell me what you're talking about!" I screamed at him, still struggling to hold him down.

"It's Tanya, dammit! She's missing, and I just know something has happened to her." He was crying now and it floored me. I never knew Eleazar had any emotions in him. I knew he and Tanya were close because her mother died when she was young. Tanya's mother was his sister, and he kept a close eye on her ever since. Usually he was void of any compassion, but the closeness they shared was more than I thought.

I got off of him and he rose slowly, straightening out his pants. "Eleazar, you have to know I have not seen Tanya in a couple weeks. I won't lie to you. We didn't leave on good terms; we had a misunderstanding, and she was pissed at me when she left. But, I would never hurt her, at least not intentionally and certainly not physically."

"She always calls me every other night, at least," he said, taking out his phone and looking at it. "I haven't heard from her in over a week. Something's had to have happened to her. It's not like her not to call or come over for Sunday dinner." Eleazar went over to sit down on the couch, and put his hand through his hair. He looked like he hadn't slept in a couple days and had a few days worth of growth on his face.

The thoughts running through my head at the moment were not good. Was another person dead because they were associated with me? No, she couldn't be dead. She had probably shacked up with a random guy somewhere snorting coke, going back to her old habits.

"Look, Eleazar, I'm sure she's fine. Maybe she just needed some time away and took a short vacation. You know how she is sometimes." No matter what came out of my mouth, he just kept shaking his head.

"No, she would never do that. She always called. I'm telling you something bad happened. What did you two argue about, anyway?"

No way in hell was I telling her uncle about me shouting out someone else's name during our sexcapade. "It was nothing big. Just the usual – she wanted more from me than I could give her, that's all."

He looked up at me with grief written all over his face. "You know yesterday was the tenth anniversary of my sister's death. Every year, Tanya and I visit her grave and then have dinner. She would never miss it."

Eleazar was right, ever since I'd known Tanya, she had always talked about her mother and gone to put flowers on her gravestone.

"I can make some calls. I know some of her friends and maybe they know where she's at. At least know where she was on − what date did she disappear again?" I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through my list of contacts. I didn't know all her friends but I did know a few.

"Last Tuesday or Wednesday. I talked to her Monday night, and usually heard from her on Wednesday so it could've been either day. I've already tried her neighbors but they never heard anything or saw her since Tuesday morning. They didn't experience anything unusual or any strangers hanging around either."

"Have you gone to the cops yet?" That seemed like the next logical step, but I also knew Eleazar didn't want any cops snooping around him either. Neither did I for that matter.

"You know the answer to that. I have to use every resource I have before I resort to them poking around. We all could end up behind bars. I'm going to have to do this by myself, but was hoping you could call a couple of her friends. I know I came here blaming you, but I'm at my wits end." He sat there with his elbows on his knees, tugging at his hair.

"I'll do what I can. Even though Tanya and I didn't work out, it doesn't mean I wanted any harm to come to her. Did she have any enemies that you know of?" I also tried to think of anyone she ever talked badly about, but came up with nothing.

"None that I've found yet. I had a key to her apartment, and went through some of her stuff. Nothing seems to be missing but her cell phone and purse, which leads me to believe she had it on her when she left. No address book was lying around and she was between jobs, so there's no one to ask there." Eleazar stood up and went towards the front door.

"Okay. I'll see what I can find and get back with you. I'll have one of my guys go and talk to her friends and her past job to see what they know. I'll keep you posted." I put my hand on the doorknob to let him out.

Eleazar stepped out on the porch and turned around. "One last thing you probably need to know, Edward. Tanya's pregnant."

**Cliffie time! **

**Reviews are ****greatly appreciated!**


	14. Chapter 14

Ms. Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

**Chapter 14 ****- Anticipation**

BPOV

"Yo, Marie! Do you prefer two double beds or one big, soft, cushy, king-size bed?" Alice asked in her little sing-song voice. She came strolling in my office, whistling some tune I'd never heard before while shuffling some papers around in her hands.

"Definitely a king-size bed," I confirmed. My desk was piled high with the end-of-month sales figures to go through, and I had a very important meeting with a new client in an hour. I put my pencil behind my ear and adjusted my glasses after they slipped down my nose.

"Ooh, sounds like someone might be expecting a guest in their room, huh? Care to share, you little vixen?" Alice plopped herself down on my comfy couch, putting her feet up. I had to admit she looked quite relaxed.

"Are we all comfy over there? Need a blanket, warm glass of milk . . . slippers or anything?" I laughed as I poured over the spreadsheets, typing numbers in my computer.

"Someone didn't answer my question." Alice bit down on the end of her pen and looked all sly and devilish.

"No, I don't have anyone sharing my bed when we go to Vegas. Not that I wouldn't mind anyone sharing my bed, I just don't have anyone at this particular moment." My mind wandered to Edward. It was too soon for me to ask him to come along with me on a business trip. I mean, we had only gone on one date, and although I was cooking dinner for him tonight, it certainly wouldn't be cool for me to spring an out-of-town trip on him this quickly.

Alice sighed. "Me neither. We're going to need to fix that situation too. What do you say we go out tonight to Mansion? I hear they've got a great new band playing!"

"Um, I'm afraid I can't tonight. Remember the guy I had a date with the other night?" Alice nodded her head. "Well, I invited him over for dinner."

"Ooh, two dates in a week? Sounds serious. Does he have a friend by any chance?" Alice bounced her way over to my desk.

Peering up at her over my glasses, I gave her a funny look. "I'm sure he has friends, but I don't know if they're single or not. Let me get to know him first, then I'll ask, okay?"

Alice pouted her bottom lip but nodded. "Hey, speaking of dates, do you think Rose left with Em the other night? I think those two are so doing the nasty. What do you think?"

Usually, I never stuck my nose in my friends business, but I had to give my two cents. "Oh yeah, those two are definitely sleeping together. What do you know about Emmett?" I figured my question was safe, and now that I had been working here for a little while, it was legitimate to be concerned about our mutual friend.

"Emmett? He's just a big old teddy bear. The other night at Rose's birthday party, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Any time she walks by his office while I'm in, or if we have a meeting, his face lights up like a Christmas tree." Alice loved to gossip and when she spoke, her hands didn't quit moving.

My suspicions were confirmed when Alice started talking about Emmett. She knew nothing about their drug business. If she did, she was a damn good liar, and definitely wouldn't have called him a teddy bear. I'd gotten to know her pretty well. She had worked for C&M for a few years, and if she was the least bit curious about anything, I'd have heard about it by now.

"That's sweet," I lied to her, knowing that Rose was going to get her heart broken once we infiltrated C&M.

"Not to change the subject, but we need to discuss the specifics for the Vegas convention. Emmett wants to introduce me to the northern franchisees, so I'll need you to set up meetings with them, preferably on the first day. That way I'll be acquainted with them at the start of the week." I pinched the bridge of my nose and set the spreadsheets to the side. "I'll need a list of the Exhibitor Schedule, and please make time with Emmett so I know which cars he'll want to display on the main floor."

Alice began writing feverishly, then stopped and looked at me. "I think we should show the Ferrari California in Midnight Blue. That car is so damn hot it just screams sex!"

I laughed. "Yes, it does. That's my favorite too. We'll need to see what our competitors are bringing as well. By the way, do you know if Mr. Masen will be going to the convention? I'd like to meet him finally."

Alice coughed sarcastically as she stood up to walk to the window. "He's supposed to be there and introduce the new line of Maserati's and Lexus'. That is, if he can keep his hands off the car models this year."

"Car models?" I asked. My curiosity was peaked.

"Yes, the ones that are about 5'10, 125 pounds, and come in blonde, brunette or redhead." Alice giggled, but I knew she was serious. I'd heard that Mr. Masen loved the women.

"It's interesting that he never comes in the office. Who makes his arrangements?" Now was as good time as any to start digging around about the silent partner in this company. Alice and I had developed a good rapport, and I'd wanted to ask about Mr. Masen for awhile now.

"Oh, I do. I talk to him on a weekly basis. He likes to keep to himself and trusts Emmett to run things here. He'll go out and meet clients though. Edward likes to stay quite busy." Alice put her finger up to her mouth and whispered. "Between you and me though, I think he has a side business. I don't think it has anything to do with the automotive industry though."

_You_ _don't know how right you are, Alice._ "What makes you think that? Just because the man doesn't always come into the office doesn't mean he's up to no good." I thought I might as well play along to see what kind of information I could get out of her.

"Well, I always thought it was odd that he never comes in here, but who am I to question? He goes to the conventions sometimes, but hides in the shadows pretty much. Emmett and the VP's, like you, do all the schmoozing with our clients and competitors. Somehow, this year Emmett got him to introduce our clients newest lines−I'm just curious to what he promised him to get him to do it." Alice chuckled and sat back down on the couch.

"Hmm. Since I'm the new VP of Sales, do you think he'd meet with me? He is one of my bosses, and I'd like to at least meet the mystery man," I questioned Alice and she seemed to be thinking about it.

"Hey, maybe you can meet him in Vegas. I can ask Emmett if you two can introduce the new lines together. How does that sound? He's quite the attractive guy too, but since you're having dinner with your new Romeo, you might not be interested. Besides, he doesn't date."

Alice had totally gotten my interest now, and I was more than pleased it was her suggestion that we present our newest cars together. What a brilliant idea! I now had a reason to meet up with him other than being just another silly employee on the payroll.

"Alice, you're a genius! I think that's a wonderful idea. Do you think he'll go for it? Though I'm not so sure, because it sounds like he prefers doing things for himself and doesn't want a partner." I hoped she wouldn't change her mind about this.

"I don't think he'll care at all. I'm sure he'll be pleased to have someone share the load. Not to mention, you're pretty hot. You'd better watch out though– he loves gorgeous women!" Alice had nothing to worry about. No way would I get involved with a criminal, no matter how good looking he was.

"I'm curious about something though. What do you mean he doesn't date? I thought you said he loved women," I asked.

"Oh, Mr. Masen is afraid of commitment, I think. He's probably bedded half of Miami, all of them beautiful, but ditzy. Emmett jokes and says he'll grow up to be another Hugh Hefner! ″ Alice exclaimed, slipping her shoe off and rubbing her foot. I had no idea how she could always wear those damn high heels without tripping all over herself.

I was almost done with my figures and had moved on to the presentation I had prepared for the meeting with the new client when there was a knock on the door and Rosalie stepped in.

"Oh good. You're right on time. I was about to call you. Did you get a chance to look through the proposal I had delivered to you earlier?" I stood up and walked around the desk.

Rosalie nodded and sat down in the chair. "Yes, I got it. I was pleasantly surprised. It's quite thorough and very creative. I didn't know you had it in you."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Rose. Now, I don't know about you, but I really want to land this client. It'll be a really big feather in our cap if they buy into this today, and guess who'll look really good if we do – especially to the big boss?" I winked at her, and crossed my legs at the same time.

She laughed because she knew what I meant. "Touche, Ms. Dwyer. Consider me in."

XXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

If there was one thing on this earth, other than my job, I loved most, it was cooking. My grandma's special marinara sauce was always in my freezer and could be ready in no time. Since Edward would be here in couple of hours, I was counting my blessings that I had made some last week.

Cooking was therapeutic for me. When Grandma Dwyer died a few years ago, I had made food for over fifty people after her funeral. It made me feel closer to her, especially since I was the only one she ever shared her famous sauce recipe with.

So, I hoped Edward would enjoy it as well. I hadn't been this excited to have a guy over since−well, since never. I'd already known Dimitri because I worked with him every day, then I had a few blind dates and one night stands. When Edward touched me, my skin electrified. He was such a gentlemen and didn't even try to maul me on the first date. I couldn't decide if I was happy or disappointed. He also accepted my dinner invitation, so I'd better get my butt in gear.

Deciding what to wear was my biggest obstacle for the night. I ran upstairs, showered, shaved my legs, brushed my teeth and raided the closet. Working for the FBI, I definitely didn't make a lot of money; however, since I also worked undercover with C&M, I got to double dip. I liked to use that money for clothes. What the hell else would I spend it on?

Choosing a black Gucci mini skirt and Zac Posen halter tank, I tried to go casual chic. Hell, who was I kidding? I wanted to look sexy as hell, so I went for the best outfit that showed off my toned arms and muscular legs. I didn't kick box and do yoga for nothing! Once I put the finishing touches on my hair and swiped the last bit of mascara on my lashes, I dashed downstairs with twenty–five minutes to spare.

Throwing on my apron, I made my way over to the stove. My sauce simmered on low, and I put the wooden spoon in it to give it a stir. Afterwards, I tasted it and of course, it was as delicious as ever. I turned the other burner on for the shells and pulled the ricotta cheese mixture out of the fridge. While the shells boiled, I pulled out the salad and mixed it up with Grandma's special poppy seed dressing.

Hopefully, after this home cooked meal I'd have him eating out of my hands. Actually, I'd settle for a great make-out session on my couch instead. Maybe if I'm lucky and play my cards right, I just might get my wish.

I knew I was going to need a little liquid courage tonight, so I opened up my liquor cabinet. Rummaging through it, I spotted what I was looking for−Gran Patron, triple distilled and aged. Oh yeah. Pulling out the shot glass, I poured myself two shots. When I started daydreaming about pulling Edward down on my couch and doing nasty things to him, my phone buzzed which knocked me out of my dazed, horny-induced state.

**Just thought I'd let you know I'm 5 minutes away. Do you need anything?**

**-E**

My heart picked up a beat. Yeah, I definitely needed something all right. HIM.

**Nope. Just yourself. When you get in the door, buzz my apartment number and I'll let you in. Hope you're hungry!**

**-B**

I took my apron off and glanced in the mirror to make sure I looked okay. Hair curled and looking sexy? Check. Breath mint popped in mouth for minty fresh breath? Check. Nerves getting the best of me and heart beating too fast? Check and check.

Breathe, Bella. The house phone dinged, letting me know he was requesting permission to come up, and I hit the button letting it unlock. The shells were done, so I set those aside on the other burner to cool off. I thought it would be fun to stuff the shells together, kind of a getting-to-know-you-better project. Otherwise known as Project Get Close to Edward.

The doorbell rang, and I casually walked over to the door. When I opened it, I was met with the most glorious set of green eyes, beautiful blue flowers and a bottle of red wine.

"Hi," I said a little too enthusiastically.

"Hey. Wow, you look absolutely breath taking!" Edward said, as I opened the door wider, motioning for him to come through. I knew we stood and stared at each other a little longer than necessary, but I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

I blushed fifty shades of red. "Thanks. Are those for me?" I asked, pointing at the flowers.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." Edward handed me the flowers, and I walked toward the kitchen in search of a vase. Heck, I hope I had one. Searching through my cabinet, I managed to find one in the very back.

"My God, something smells wonderful!" he exclaimed, as he followed me to the kitchen and set the wine down on the counter.

"Why, thank you very much. And thank you for the beautiful flowers too! They're such an interesting shade of blue. I don't think I've ever seen this kind of flower before either. What are they called?" I asked, running water in the vase and tearing the foil off.

"They're called bachelor buttons. You can look the meaning up later." He winked.

Damn, he just winked at me, and I swore my whole insides just fluttered. It's the feeling Alice was describing the other night. Huh. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving, actually. I had something I needed to take care of and didn't have time for lunch. Before I knew it, the day got away from me, and it was time to come over."

Feeling the affect of the Gran Patron, my adventurous side decided it was time to come out and play. "I was just wondering . . . would you like to do something you've never done before?" My head was down, but my eyes slowly rolled up to give him a lustful look.

His eyebrows shot up and his face gave me a skeptical look. "Seriously, Bella? Hmmm, now how would you know what I have or haven't done before? I'm very curious, I must say." Edward slowly walked around the island and stood directly in front of me. I could even feel his warm breath on my face.

Peeking up at him and reveling in his closeness, I said teasingly, "I know you don't cook, so I was just going to ask you to help me stuff these shells."

Edward smirked and jokingly replied, "I'd love to help stuff your shells, Bella."

I giggled and turned to take the shells off the stove, draining them in the sink. "Great. Why don't you open the bottle of wine and pour us a couple of glasses? You can find them in that cabinet by the fridge."

I could hear Edward groan a little bit as he turned around to get them. The sexual tension between us was growing and becoming harder to control, at least for me. I had a feeling it was the same for him too.

Preparing the meal was even more fun than I anticipated. Edward really had no idea what he was doing, but by the time we were finished, he'd done pretty well. I even think he enjoyed himself. With the shells in the oven and the timer set for twenty minutes, we grabbed our wine and ventured out to the balcony. The sun was setting and there was a light breeze blowing from the west.

"I'll have to admit that was the most fun I've ever had cooking," Edward teased, running his hand through his hair.

"Me too. It was nice – I usually don't get to cook for anyone since I still don't know too many people here. It's great to finally have someone over. You're my first, you know?" I knew that sentence had a double meaning as soon as I said it. Sure enough, he looked at me with a doubtful face.

"Really? I'm your first . . . guest?" I recognized his pause and grinned.

"Yep. You're my first. Other than my friend who helped me find the condo, but that doesn't count. I'm glad I have someone to cook for. Like I said, I love to cook and it's my grandma's secret recipe, so when I get a chance to make it, I'm in my glory. Plus, I miss her." I turned and looked over at the sun setting while my arms rested on the awning.

He joined me, moving closer so our arms were almost touching each other. He had a faraway look on his face like he was a thousand miles away. I suddenly wondered if he had a grandma too.

"What are you thinking about?" I whispered to him.

"Lots of things, actually. I vaguely remember my mom cooking, but when she did, she really enjoyed it. She whistled while she cooked and one Thanksgiving, she had whistled every Beatles song while making the whole dinner. She loved the Beatles, and we had every album."

He talked about his mom in the past tense so I assumed she had passed away. Should I ask him about her, or was it a sore subject? What the hell.

"Did your mom pass away?" I took a couple of drinks of wine after saying this, wondering if I wanted to know this story or not.

"Yes, I think so. I know that's a strange answer but I really don't want to talk about it right now. Is that okay?" Edward leaned in and brushed the back of his hand on my cheek.

"Of course. I didn't mean to pry," I said, my eyes closing, feeling the warmth of his hand on my face.

"You didn't. It's just a sore subject," he said quietly.

To lighten the mood, I asked, "So, did you learn anything new?" I giggled, my buzz now wearing off. Dammit. I'm going to have to sneak another shot in – it certainly helped the last time.

Edward brought himself closer to me, his face now inches from mine. Tiptoeing up, I moved nearer toward his lips. About the time our lips met, the damn timer on the oven went off.

We stopped and pulled away from each other, laughing at the timing of the situation. I sighed pretty heavily, and he knew the moment had now gone.

I ran into the kitchen to turn the timer off while Edward went to grab the bottle of wine to refill our glasses.

Grabbing my oven mitts, I opened the oven door and set the pasta on the granite countertop. Suddenly, a door slammed down the hallway and shouting started to ensue.

Edward and I looked at each other in confusion.

"What the hell is going on out there?" he asked, moving toward the door.

"I don't know. I heard my neighbor talking about a new couple that moved in two doors down, but I don't know anything about them." I took off the mitts and wondered if I should even open the door to see what was going on.

The shouting started getting louder, and then we heard things being thrown around on in the hallway.

A woman started screaming hysterically. I knew we had to peek out to see what was going on. With my training I couldn't just let someone get abused and not do anything about it. However, I couldn't blow my cover either.

Edward wasted no time opening the door. He was out in the hallway in a split second before I could stop him.

"Edward, wait!" I took off after him.

Sure enough, there was obviously a domestic dispute happening. The man had the woman's arm behind her back, twisting it which was causing her to scream.

"You need to get the hell off of her right now!" Edward screamed at the man and started moving toward him.

"This doesn't concern you pretty boy, so just go back to your little girlfriend and mind your own business!" The man now had one hand pulling at the woman's hair, yanking her head back to him.

If there was one thing I wouldn't stand for, it was a man beating on a woman. Ever since James slapped me and put me in the emergency room that night, I decided no man would be beating up on a woman around me ever again.

I wandered around Edward, realizing I had on my Gucci skirt and began to curse at myself for wearing it. "Excuse me; you really need to let her go. Now."

"Oh, really? And what do you think you're going to do about it – all 100 pounds of you?" The man snickered and just pulled the girls wrist up higher on her back and twisted harder. She let out a piercing scream and now more people were coming out of their apartments. Great.

"You might be surprised what a small person like me could do. Why don't you let her go and find out, asshole!" I was only about ten feet away from them when I felt Edward grab my arm.

"Bella, please let me handle this. You're going to get yourself hurt. Why don't you just go back inside and call the police, okay?" Edward moved around me and started gently pushing me back toward my apartment.

"I can handle him, Edward. Really."

The man shouted again. "Why doesn't everyone just go back to their little apartments and leave us alone. This doesn't concern any of you. See, Jennifer here decided to up and tell me she didn't want to see me anymore. I can't let that happen. She's the love of my life and I cannot let her go. I need to teach her a lesson, isn't that right, baby?"

Jennifer looked up at us, mascara running down her face. "Please, everyone. Just go. He's dangerous, and I don't want anybody to get hurt," she said between sobs.

That was it. I stormed past Edward, sticking my finger in the man's face. "You pissed off the wrong person tonight, asshole!" I side kicked the outside of his leg, making it buckle inward, while using a palm strike to his neck. Knowing he would be down for a second, I grabbed the girl and pushed her towards Edward.

The man struggled to get up and when he did, he pulled out a knife from his boot. Now it was going to get interesting. I knew I'd have to explain this all to Edward later, but it wasn't the time to think about anything else but making this guy pay.

"C'mon, little girl. Let's see how bad you are now." His right hand held the knife and his left was curling its fingers toward me, urging me even more. A strange tattoo looking like a black octopus peeked out under his sleeve.

"Bella, you need to move away from him right now. I'll handle it. Please!" He was begging, but I just pretended not to hear him. This situation was nothing, and I knew I could take him. Crouching down, I decided I wouldn't show off too much. I just wanted to show this bastard whose boss. Besides, anyone could tell he was high on something because his pupils were so dilated. This would be a piece of cake. I could move twice as fast as him due to his fucked up state.

"I would drop the knife if I were you. This will not end well, I promise. So why don't you be a nice little boy and give it to me." I thought I'd try being nice first, but I knew that wasn't going to get me anywhere. Looking to my left, I saw that someone was on the phone to the police, so it was a matter of time before they'd be here anyway. I'd just delay it a little bit and make this prick's day a little more difficult.

"Right, little lady. You got me once, I'm not gonna fall for it again. Try it, bitch!" he yelled, and I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine.

He lunged forward at me with the knife only to get a taste of a perfectly placed front kick to his jaw. He fell backwards to the floor again as the knife flew out of his hand. With his eyes rolled back in his head, Edward took the initiative and jumped on top of him, keeping his knees on the man's forearms to restrain him. As he regained his senses, the man struggled to get free and started bucking his hips to get Edward off him, but he was having none of it. Edward unleashed two punches to the guy's face which finally put an end to his struggling.

I looked up and the police were coming out of the elevator – nice of them to show up in a timely manner. Edward got off him and the police took over, slapping handcuffs on the man and leading him down the elevator.

He looked over at me as people cheered at us, clapping their hands and giving us high fives. It was a little awkward to say the least. We just smiled and told them all they could go back in and have a nice night.

Jennifer came over and thanked us profusely. She proceeded to tell us she had a restraining order against her boyfriend, and he'd gotten quite violent due to the many drugs he started taking recently. Things were great between them until he took a dive into the dark world of pills and heroin. She had tried so hard to get him help, but he either refused or made up excuses.

Edward listened to her intently, shaking his head like he understood exactly what she was saying. I sure knew I had – God knows I had been through it with Lauren. I silently wondered if Edward had a loved one who had been hooked as well.

We walked back in after saying our goodbyes and shut the door behind us.

"Well, I was certainly not expecting a night like this tonight. I'm sure you're starving−are you ready to eat something?" I asked him as he just stood there and stared at me.

"You're seriously thinking about just sitting down and eating after what just happened? And where in the hell did you learn to fight like that?" Edward had a look on his face of such disbelief; it was hard to look at him.

I knew I had to lie; it definitely wouldn't be the first time and certainly not the last. "My dad taught me mostly. Growing up, he said I should learn how to defend myself in case he wasn't always around to do it. I've taken some self-defense courses; I guess they came in pretty handy tonight."

He was sitting down on the barstool, his head in his hand, running it through his hair. I could tell something was on his mind, and he had that distant look on his face again. I hoped I didn't screw things up with us.

"Well, you did a great job out there. You didn't even seem nervous or scared; it was pretty impressive." Edward sighed and looked down at his feet. His face looked pained and his brows were furrowed. "Bella, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I've lost my appetite. I know you went to all this trouble which I really appreciate, but I've just got a lot on my mind right now. I'll call you later, okay?" Edward got up, walking over to me. He bent over and kissed my forehead.

The next thing I knew, he had turned around and walked out the door. Just like that. I stood there, leaning against the bar, wondering what the hell just happened. Did I scare him away? My dinner was on the counter, staring up and mocking me for some reason. I picked up the casserole dish, walked over to the trashcan, and dumped it all in there. The night had started out so wonderful; how did it go so wrong?

Walking over to my office, I sat down at the computer and typed in what I was looking for.

Bachelor button – definition: _anticipation_

Well, I hoped he got what he wished for.


	15. Chapter 15

I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.

Rated M for language, illegal activity, sex and violence.

**Chapter 15**** – Dream On**

EPOV

I tossed and turned until I woke myself up. My dreams tormented me, pushing me into some submersible pit of hell.

Actually, they were more like nightmares. My mother was cooking over a stove when a man rushed into the kitchen, grabbed her around the waist and spun her around while she laughed. I couldn't tell who the man was, but she obviously cared for him. I tried to make out a face, but all I could see of the man was an octopus tattoo on the inside of his wrist. Suddenly, a pregnant woman bursts through the window, doing one of those sidekicks like you'd see on the Charlie's Angels movies, her fists up near her body, and heel kicks the man to the side of his face. A tooth goes flying out of his mouth, and I catch it; when I look down though, all I see is a stuffed pasta shell in my hand. I look at it, thinking it should go in the refrigerator, so I open up the door to put it in there. I jump back when I see a girls head sitting on the cold shelf, but put the stuffed shell next to it anyway. When I did, the head turned and bit me on the knuckles! I screamed so loud I woke myself up.

I rose up, breathing hard and clenching the bed sheets in both hands like some crazy little girl. Wincing as I looked down, I saw dried blood on my knuckles from hitting the lunatic last night. I'd need to put some ice on them later.

That was one of the most fucked up dreams I'd had in a long time. It wouldn't take much of a psychologist to tell me what the hell it was all about though.

I was such a loser for running out on Bella like I did. Everything had been going so well. I almost kissed her, but I guess fate had other ideas. Like that drugged-out idiot in the hallway. And where did Bella learn to fight like that? Holy hell. I didn't think I could have beaten her in a fight. She was scary! However, it was such a turn-on thinking about her beating the living shit out of the guy that I was getting a hard-on. I'd have to meet her dad and thank him for teaching her so well. She saved the girl's life last night without even blinking an eye.

My emotions were running so high at the end of the night my mind was on overload. I really wanted to stay and have a great evening−especially since Bella went to so much trouble cooking dinner for me. But it all started when she talked about her grandma's cooking and how she missed her so much; it just hit me really hard. I never thought about my mother anymore if I could help it. Yeah, there were a few reminders of her here and there in my house and the dreaded earring, but I tried to block out her memories in my head. It hurt too much. Not knowing what happened to her being the worst memory of all.

Then, the altercation in the hallway happened. The man was so drugged up, he had no idea what he was doing. I'm sure he loved his girlfriend, but having a lot of experience seeing people on drugs, I knew he would regret this whole thing once he came down off his high. When Bella decided to take matters in her own hands, I almost went berserk. I was beginning to really like this girl, and a feeling of dread overcame me when he pulled a knife on her. I thought he would kill her, so I lunged at him just as soon as she front-kicked him, holding his arms down and punching the prick senseless. Relief spread throughout my body when she had grabbed the knife; I almost teared up. Almost.

Then Jennifer, his girlfriend, had to go and explain his drug habits to us. Could I have been the one to supply those drugs to him? How ironic would that be? Talk about fucking up your own life inadvertently . . . Then there was that strange tattoo. Where had I seen it before? It looked so familiar, but I just couldn't remember where for the life of me.

All of those things came crashing down on me after we received high fives and accolades from adoring new fans. It was like an emotional crash of some kind. Deep down, I knew what the problem was; Bella was too good for me.

She obviously had a great career, beautiful condo, family that cared for her and was well grounded. What could I possibly offer someone like her? To stay alive until I reach the ripe old age of thirty? To promise not to get thrown in jail every other week? Maybe I could introduce her to all the Mafia families in Miami – at least she'd learn some new Italian recipes.

No, I couldn't do that to her. She was a sweet girl with a wholesome upbringing, and I would do nothing but bring her down to the gutter. Why would she want to date someone who made a living shipping and selling drugs to the likes of the person who could've killed her no less than ten hours ago?

I peered over at the alarm clock, and it only read four twenty-two a.m. Ugh. Might as well get up and do some work. I threw on a pair of jeans I had hanging over a chair and walked into the kitchen to brew some coffee. Margarita wouldn't be here for another couple hours, so I needed to fend for myself. As I sat there at the table staring at my cup of coffee, my mind wandered again, but this time to Tanya.

Tanya was pregnant. It couldn't be mine. I never, ever went without a condom with any woman, let alone Miss Loose Lips of Miami. There was no way in hell it had torn because I bought the most expensive kind they made, and I always checked it afterward.

Even more mind-boggling and concerning to me was, what the hell happened to her? Since she had gone missing, Eleazar had frantically searched everywhere, including out-of-state now, apparently. The night after he came over and practically accused me of doing something to her, he called to tell me he expanded the search out of Florida because her credit card had shown activity in Georgia.

Taking another sip of coffee, I rubbed my eyes and ran my hand through my hair. Could another person be dead because of me? What the fuck was going on lately? I had called Emmett the night I found out about Tanya to get his opinion.

Emmett had a totally different take on the situation then I did. "Hell, Tanya has been fucking every available man in Miami for months now, man. What makes you think her disappearance has anything to do with you?"

"Gee, I don't know. My shipments have been stolen out from under me, my best guy is dead, not to mention his brother is missing a few parts, and now an ex-girlfriend goes AWOL. No reason I guess," I had said sarcastically, because I was getting really tired of this shit.

"Look, Ed, let's just say for a second that Tanya really is missing. Does Eleazar have any clue how many men Tanya beds in a month? Hell, I'd see that girl at Mansion making out with a different guy every time I visited. She's probably hooked up with some rich Latin man who's supplying her with enough drugs for a year." I had yet to tell Emmett about Tanya being knocked up.

I debated whether or not to tell him because he'd give me a lecture about birth control, something I certainly didn't want to hear from him right about then. "Emmett, Tanya wouldn't be doing drugs."

Emmett laughed. "Are you kidding me? You know her better than anyone. Tanya would use anything being passed around."

I blew out a breath and decided I might as well tell him. "Eleazar told me she's pregnant. I'm not sure I believe him because she was pretty cautious about that." I winced, knowing what was coming next.

"What the fuck? Dude, you'd better tell me that you covered yourself or I'm gonna jump through this phone and kick your ass! You know what kind of diseases you could get from someone like her? She's like the Grand Canyon with thousands of visitors a year, if you know what I mean. Damn, Ed. There's no way it could be yours, right?"

This conversation had to end. "No, Em. I always covered my shit, you know that. I had no idea who she slept with, and I don't want to know. The main thing right now is to find her, which is why I called you in the first place. I told Eleazar we'd send out a search party and send out a few of our expendable guys to talk to her friends and neighbors to see what they know. I feel like I owe him that much."

The conversation ended with Emmett giving me the names of a few of our employees whose schedules weren't too busy for the next few weeks. Their assignment needed to be concluded by the end of the week because time was of the essence in a missing person case.

I watched the clock turn ten minutes past five. Thanks to Alice, my calendar was full today with appointments, starting at eight with the CEO of Maserati. Thank goodness they happened to be located in Miami. The second appointment was a conference call with Lexus so I'd just take it in my home office. Having lots of money was awesome; it could get you top-of-the-line equipment at a moment's notice. Since I didn't like going into the main building, we had outfitted my home office with state-of-the-art equipment comparable to Bill Gates. He'd probably even be jealous.

Starting up my computer, I logged on to my email account. A lot of junk mail appeared, so I started cleaning out my inbox. About that time, my email notified me of a new message. It came from Mr. Gianconi, the CEO of Maserati apologizing that he couldn't make the eight am meeting which made me happy. However, he said he would be sending his Vice-President of Marketing, Terry Rodriguez, in his place and if the meeting could be moved to seven tonight at Spiga. Spiga was a new, expensive Italian restaurant in Miami Beach I'd wanted to try, so it sounded good to me. I let him know I'd be there, and continued on reading down the list of mail.

I had read half of my mail when my phone buzzed. Who the hell was texting me at six thirty in the morning? I grabbed it and looked at the display. Bella. Shit. I wondered if something happened. I'd just made the decision not to see her anymore, but didn't know if I wanted to let her go this soon. This is going to kill me, but I might as well get it over with.

**Good morning, Edward. I hope I'm not waking you.**

**-B **

**Actually, I couldn't sleep. I kept having nightmares of you beating the shit out of me.**

**-E**

**That's why I'm texting. I need to apologize for that. You need to know why I got so carried away. I never got a chance to tell you that I used to be in an abusive relationship so when I saw that man choking her, I went a little crazy.**

**-B**

Great, she's not going to make this any easier for me. All the more reason for me to leave her alone. I would just add more agony to her life.

**Bella, no need for apologies. You handled yourself quite well; you didn't even need my help. If anyone should be apologizing, it's me. You****'re a strong person and obviously stand up for what you believe in. I'm the coward that left.**

**-E**

**I understand why you left. I can be a little intimidating. Would you mind getting a drink with me tonight so we can start over, perhaps?**

**-B**

If I didn't end things with Bella now, I'd never do it. Then, the head in my dream refrigerator really would be hers, and I'd never forgive myself. I was cursed.

**Actually, Bella I ****don't think we should see each other anymore. Please don't get the wrong idea; I had an awesome time with you and think you're a really great girl. I'm just not good for you.**

**-E**

A few minutes went by before she texted me back. I was dreading her reply. Was I doing the right thing? I could guarantee her safety this way but it would be a huge sacrifice. I enjoyed her company and didn't want to give her up. Damn my life.

**What does that even mean? You've been nothing but the perfect gentlemen. Is there something you're not telling me? **

**-B**

Hmmm . . . let me see. Yeah, there's quite a bit I'm not telling you and never can tell you, Bella. Starting with the fact I'm the head of the biggest drug syndicate in the south and someone is out to get me by killing, maiming or kidnapping those around me one by one. Guess I'll need to keep it simple.

**It just seems every time I make an effort to get close to anyone, something bad happens. You could've gotten killed last night, Bella****, and I feel that whole scenario wouldn't have happened if I wasn't there.**

**-E**

**Are you serious? That had nothing at all to do with you. It was just some jerk jacked up on crack, who was pissed his girlfriend was finally dumping his sorry ass. Why in the world would you think you had anything to do with that?**

**-B**

Gee, I don't know. Probably because there was a ninety percent chance I shipped the drugs into the country that he got strung out on, that's all. How can I turn this around and not hurt her so bad?

**Look, maybe we should just cool it for a**** while. Bad things seem to be following me around lately, and I don't want you to get hurt, that's all. Please forgive me, but honestly, it's for the best, trust me.**

**-E**

Man, it killed me to text her this load of horse shit. I had to get her to believe it to keep her alive though. I needed to focus on finding Tanya and Sonny; with Bella around, it would be tough to do. Besides, the Vegas car show was coming up and I had to be at the top of my game. I couldn't be distracted by anyone who could throw me off track – especially a woman.

**If that's the way you want it, fine. I won't bother you anymore. Again, I'm sorry if I intimidated you in any way. That wasn't my intention. Godspeed, Edward.**

**-B**

"Fuck!" I screamed out to no one, taking a swipe of some items on my desk, watching as they landed on the floor. Two great dates with a beautiful, normal girl and whammo−enter one majorly fucked up situation. I give up. Whether it be my destitute childhood, career choice, or mob-stalker, I'd never be able to settle down with a woman. Too much baggage and danger lurked around me.

I'd just have to go back to fucking random women any time I wanted. It was what I did best; love 'em and leave 'em.

I picked up the phone to call my guys, assigning them their respective territories and dividing them up to cover up most of northern Florida and southern Georgia. We all knew it was a long shot but I had to try; I felt I owed Tanya that much.

The day flew by quickly and before I knew it, I had gotten in my Aston and drove over to the restaurant for my meeting. This had been a shitty day, so I looked forward to eating a good Italian meal with some red wine. Maybe I could drink my problems away tonight.

My client hadn't arrived yet, so I left word with the maître d' to let them know I'd be at the bar having a drink. Spiga was a classy place; the bar was beautiful as its mahogany wood and intricate inlaid tiles detailed a Florida majestic palm in its center. The interior had a romantic feel with its low lighting and dark wood; the candles on the table flickered on the wine glasses emitting a beautiful glow in the front room. Many couples were probably dining tonight to celebrate a special occasion or just enjoying some alone time. I felt a pang of jealousy towards every one of them; I'll never have that special someone to share a nice dinner. Not unless I want to find their body parts washed ashore at some point.

After my third shot of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, my body started to warm up. Yeah, I was a whisky snob; a bottle of Blue Label went for a couple hundred dollars a bottle, depending on the age of the malt. It was exactly what I needed to start off a boring business meeting. As I contemplated my fourth shot, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Mr. Masen, your appointment is here. Shall I bring her over?" the maître d' asked.

"Oh, sure." I glanced in the bar mirror and ran my hand through my hair.

Turning around to wait for the rep, I noticed the back of a familiar brunette sitting at a table toward the left of the restaurant. What the hell was Bella doing here? At least she couldn't see me, but seeing who sat across from her made my blood boil. Her companion was a good looking, dark skinned man with really white teeth. He must have said something funny to her because I could hear her cute, little laugh which I didn't realize I missed so much until now.

I felt strange all of a sudden; my heart pounded faster and my stomach started feeling queasy. I wanted to march over to their table, pick the guy up by his starched lapelled jacket and beat the hell out of him. Him and his sparkly white teeth. While I imagined every way I could single-handedly kill Bella's date, a beautiful Latino woman walked up to me.

"Hello, Mr. Masen? I'm Terry Rodriguez. I apologize for being a little late." She held out her hand for me to shake, and I reciprocated with the firmest handshake she'd probably ever had. My anger had elevated when I looked over her shoulder, and saw the man put his hand over Bella's on the table.

"Whoa, that's quite a handshake!" Ms. Rodriguez exclaimed when she pulled her hand away, shaking it down at her side.

"My apologies. I guess I'm just used to shaking men's hands that I got carried away. It's nice to meet you." _I need to get myself under control here, or I'd end up making a scene. _As she sat down I noticed how attractive this lady was. She was almost as tall as me and had beautiful skin, pretty white teeth and long brown hair. There were a lot of sexy Latino women here in Miami, and Ms. Rodriguez was no exception. She couldn't hold a candle to Bella though.

"Your table is ready, Mr. Masen. Please follow me." The host stood in front of us and I could only pray it was nowhere near Bella's table.

He guided us right past Bella and Mr. White Strip, my new nickname for the prick sitting with my girl, and I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. I'd driven her to go out and find someone else to date, and it ate me up inside.

Sure enough, the booth he led us to was within eye shot of theirs. Damn, I would bet she had seen us. Part of me didn't want her to think I'd blew her off because of another woman, but the other part of me wanted to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn't get close to anyone else_. What the hell was wrong with me and why did I care so much?_

I needed to get my head on straight and back to Ms. Rodriguez or we'd lose this account. Maserati prided themselves on their clientele and with three shots of bourbon and my bruised ego; I could easily fuck this up.

"So Ms. Rodriguez, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Mr. Gianconi speaks highly of you, and I'm looking forward to presenting the new line at the Vegas show next month." I tried to focus on my conversation with her without looking over at Bella.

"Thanks, we're looking forward to it too. C&M is one of our biggest retailers in the States, so we're happy you gave your consent to show off the line. Now, I heard a rumor you won't be showing the line off by yourself, is that true? You have a new Vice-President of Sales who would like to share the spotlight which is fine by us. We just want to make sure she's well rehearsed and familiar with our new line so she'll be able to answer questions alongside you." Terry picked up her glass of water and took a sip.

I took the opportunity to look away, and Bella was staring right at me. Granted, she was a couple tables away but the hurt in her eyes was evident. She thought I'd broken it off with her to see someone else. Her mouth gaped open a little, and when she noticed I was staring back, she quickly put her head down and looked over at Mr. White Strip.

A server arrived at our table and took our drink order. Terry and I looked over the menu, and I decided to order stuffed pasta shells of all things. Yeah, I needed to torture myself even more.

"My secretary, Alice, has told me about our new VP wanting to present as well. I'm fine with it, and think it's a great idea actually. We can even make it a male/female version of Price is Right, except we'll be explaining the specs of the cars and not just waving our hands over them." I laughed and she did too; breaking the uncomfortable mood a little.

"I like it too. It'll be good to have some gender bantering going on up there. Since our market is becoming more influenced by females, it's good to get a different perspective. I'll need her name so we can put her on the program list." Terry reached down in her purse for a pen, while I peeked over at Bella.

Mr. White Strip still sat there but Bella had left. I wonder where she could've gone. Terry handed me a pen and paper as I wrote our VP of Sales name down for her. I still hadn't met Marie Dwyer, but knew I'd have to soon if we were attending the Vegas show together. Marie was another hottie, according to Emmett.

Terry and I continued talking about the logistics of the show and which cars they were interested in showcasing. Alice had given me Marie's list, which included the GranTurismo MC and the GT convertible Sport. She had obviously done her research to know which cars would be best for our customers and to enhance our bottom line. I could tell she was very intelligent. Her research highlighted and detailed everything I had questioned Emmett about in our earlier meetings, so she obviously took her time strategizing our next moves.

Bella still hadn't made it back to her table, and I saw Mr. White Strip looking around for her as well. She'd been gone fifteen minutes now. I needed to go find her.

"Excuse me for a minute, Terry. I'll be right back. If the food comes, please don't wait for me. Feel free to start and I'll be back shortly." I scooted out of the booth, and headed towards the restroom where I guessed she might be.

After waiting a couple minutes outside the women's restroom, I deduced she never went in there. I made my way around to the outdoor patio where other customers were dining. Bella sat on the edge of a fountain, her back facing me, but I could've picked her out from a dozen brunettes sitting there. Her long dark hair had reddish tints and she wore a beautiful dark blue dress tonight. She looked gorgeous as always. I walked up behind her to say something, but she was on her cell phone.

"Yes, Charlie I did know that. . . . you found what on the flash drive? That's exactly what I thought. The locations were pinpointed and the runs mapped out with the drivers? Did you get any names?" Bella sighed heavily and ran her hands through her hair. Who the hell was Charlie? It sounded like her boss by the conversation but her tone was quite curt.

"No, I haven't gotten to meet him yet. It's set up for next month though, so I'll have a better idea of who we're dealing with. I hear he's quite the ladies' man so I shouldn't have any problem getting him to talk." She laughed, and ended her conversation by saying she'd be in touch soon.

Bella stood up quickly and before I had a chance to walk off, she turned around and we were staring right at each other.

"Are you following me or something?" she questioned, her eyes squinting with fury.

"What? No! I thought maybe something was wrong with you, so I came to see if you were okay, that's all. Who were you talking to?" I responded, but felt like I had just got my hand caught in the cookie jar.

"None of your damn business. And why wouldn't I be okay, Edward? Just because you dumped me via text message a few hours ago, my life hasn't ended. I can see yours definitely hasn't either." I deserved the cold tone of her voice.

"It's not what it looks like. I'm having a business dinner, that's all. What's up with Mr. White Strip, anyway?" Jealous Edward reared his ugly head, and I had no idea where he came from.

"Who? You mean my date? You couldn't be jealous could you, Edward? I mean you are dining with Miss Brazil 2011 over there." _Touché._ I cringed because I knew Bella had every right to be pissed.

"Look, I never meant to hurt you. I told you that. My life is just complicated right now and bringing you in to it would be bad for you. Trust me."

"Trust you? Seriously? Why is it bad for me but not bad for Miss Brazil? Is she more capable than me, or just impervious to pain? Because I'm sure I could inflict some upon her, like right now." Ooh. Mad Bella was even sexier than nice Bella.

People started staring at us, and I didn't realize how loud our voices had gotten until a waiter came over to us and asked if there was a problem.

"No problem, sir. We were just leaving." I grabbed Bella's arm gently, and led her over to the alley next to the restaurant.

"What do you think you're doing? I'm not going anywhere with you!" She screamed a little too loudly while walking toward our destination. I put my hand over her mouth, and stood as close to her as I could get. When I realized she would stop screaming, I took my hand off. Our faces were so close, our noses were almost touching.

"Listen to me. For the last time, I am not with Miss Brazil. Her name is Ms. Rodriguez and she's a client of mine. Do you understand?" I asked softly. I could feel her breathing, her chest rising and falling against mine.

"Answer my question. What are you protecting me from? You know I can take care of myself, you saw that first hand." As her eyes looked straight into mine, I knew I'd lose all resolve soon.

Those baby browns were doing me in, and I couldn't contain myself any longer. I put my hand behind Bella's head and clenched her hair, pushing her face even closer to mine. She moaned and pressed her body straight against mine, feeling how hard she made me.

Breathing out heavily, I whispered to her, "I'm protecting you from me."

Then, as quickly as I said it, I crashed my lips to hers, now putting both my hands on the side of her face. She responded by grabbing my hair and fisting it in her hands, both of us needing air, but not caring if we breathed or not.

Our tongues fought for dominance while our hands moved everywhere on each other's bodies. I would take her here in the alley if I could get away with it, but it also wouldn't be very romantic. Bella made me insane, her body writhed against mine driving me close to the edge of taking her. If fighting with her made us get to this point, it was totally worth it. I backed away from her for a second, desperately needing to catch my breath and took a look at her. Her eyes were full of lust too; her lips were red and swollen but I felt no remorse. She wanted more just as much as I did, but unfortunately, we both had people waiting on us in the restaurant.

"Bella, we have two people waiting back inside for us. I'd leave with you right now, but she's an important client. Can I come over to your place later?" I rubbed my thumbs over her soft lips, not wanting to let her go.

"I have to get rid of Jake, too. He's staying at a hotel down the road, so I'll drive him back. You're not just telling me this and then dumping me again, are you?" Bella straightened her dress and tried fixing her hair from where I had pulled it. She opened up her purse, and looked at herself in her compact mirror.

"I can't stay away from you any longer. I'm throwing caution to the wind, but my body keeps betraying me when I'm around you. Please know I didn't mean to hurt you." I begged my hard-on to go down now that we quit making out.

"Let's just get rid of our dates and meet back at my place in an hour. I will hunt you down if you don't show up." Bella chuckled, and it was great to see that smile again.

"I won't disappoint, trust me."

"I'll hold you to that." And with that statement, she walked into the restaurant and looked back at me over her shoulder.

I think it was going to be quite an interesting night after all.

**Thanks to The Twilight Awards folks for highlighting me in their Under the Radar section. Rock on!**

**Please leave a review if you have time! Thanks again everyone!**


	16. Chapter 16

Finally . . . what you all have been waiting for . . . ta dah! Please let me know if you like it by leaving a review. Also, many, many thanks to those who have put me on Story Alert and Favorite Author. Under the Radar rocks!

Here goes . . .

**Chapter 16 - Just One Wish**

BPOV

Soaking in the bathtub can be very therapeutic; especially if you needed to soothe not only your body but also your ego from your not-really-a-boyfriend just dumping you.

He didn't want to see me anymore. As I laid there like a wet noodle, I tried to comprehend the reason behind his reluctance to get to know me. I knew I came on a little strong−my background and career choice was a representation of my need to be successful. Usually, I didn't scare guys away that quickly; eventually, but not as quickly as Edward.

I couldn't help being driven; it coursed through my body and was instilled in my chemical make-up. Why should that be a threat to a guy? He kept saying I'd get hurt and he wasn't good for me. Maybe I'd need to do a more thorough FBI search on him. However, he probably just wanted to let me down easily and gave me a lame excuse so he wouldn't hurt my feelings. It was definitely too late for that. My feelings were not just stepped on, but crushed, mangled, and let us not forget trampled.

_Get over it, Bella. Just because you were falling for the guy doesn't mean you need to psycho-analyze the situation. _

Ding-dong.

Oh great. Why does the doorbell always ring when you're in the bathtub? Grabbing my towel off the rack, I quickly dried myself off and threw on my robe. The bell rang one more time before I made it to the door, my hair dripping water all the way there. I looked through the peephole and freaked out when I saw my best friend standing on the other side.

"Jake!" I screamed as I threw the door open, putting my arms around his neck.

"What's up, girl? Long time, no see!" He pulled back from me smiling like a Cheshire cat. "Wow, mamacita lookin' good!" Jake's eyes roamed up and down my body making me blush. He hugged and spun me around until I started getting dizzy.

"I can't believe you're in Miami! When did you get here?" He finally put me down and whistled out loud.

"Damn, Bells. You're doing mighty well for yourself. I like the new digs. The cab just dropped me off from the airport so my bags are out front. I hope you don't mind me dropping by to see my old tree-climbing buddy." Jake started taking a walk around the condo, touching everything from the countertops to the lamps.

"Of course I don't mind. I'm curious as to what you're doing all the way across the U.S. though. What brings you here – don't say my dad, please," I begged, knowing that was exactly what brought him here. How else would my best friend since childhood know where I lived?

"Okay, I won't tell you Charlie told me to keep an eye out for you. But that's not the main reason I'm here. I have a vet convention in Miami Beach starting tomorrow and how convenient is it you live only a few miles from there." Jake plopped himself on my couch, putting his legs on my coffee table.

"Please, make yourself at home," I said laughing. Jake and I had been friends since we were four when his dad and mine were co-workers at Forks police station. Jake's dad turned CIA and wanted him to follow in his footsteps. He had no real interest in the justice system; however he did love German Shepherds, so he compromised with his father and bred K-9's for the police force. Eventually, he went to college to become a veterinarian as well.

"Thanks, I'd love to. Got anything cold to drink? Where's your manners, Bells? Gee, you moved down south, so I thought I'd be getting some southern hospitality, but I guess that's too much to ask, huh?"

"Some things never change, Jake. You're as bossy as ever. How about you get it yourself while I go and dry my hair?" I turned to go up the stairs but stopped halfway up. "By the way, how long are you in town for?"

Jake was already in the kitchen opening up the refrigerator door. "Just a couple of days. Hey, there's not much to eat in here. Do you have plans for tonight? I'm starving."

"No, I don't. As a matter of fact, my schedule just opened wide up. How's Italian food sound to you?" I shouted down the stairs.

"Sounds great. What happened to this one?" Jake asked.

I peered down over the railing of the loft. "What are you talking about?"

"The guy, Bella. You can't lie to me, you know. I'd know the sorrowful tone in your voice anywhere. You got dumped, didn't you?"

"Are you freakin' psychic or something? How do you do that?" I demanded, knowing full well my best friend knew my every emotion.

"You're an open book. Now, go get dressed and dry your hair. We'll go out once you get some clothes on."

As I decided what to wear, I opened up my underwear drawer and saw one of the cute, sexy bra and panty sets I bought at Agent Provocateur. Hmm. Edward Anthony be damned. Even though my ego was crushed, no way could I let him get to me. I even attached a pair of cute thigh highs and snapped them on to the underwear.

"Oh, if he could see me now!" I knew I wore them in remembrance of a relationship that never really transpired, but I didn't care. It made me feel better. I threw on a cute white wrap around dress and a pair of sling backs to match, put a little makeup on and brushed out my hair.

Jake and I decided on this new restaurant I had wanted to try out since Alice had told me how awesome their Italian food was; this would be nice given that I didn't get any last night. We pulled up to it and he came around to open my door.

The place was quite busy but we managed to get a nice table in the middle of the restaurant next to the bar. We reminisced about the old days, Jake's famous mud pies and my infamous painted rocks being the main topic of conversation. We laughed, which was such a nice change of pace from how my day began.

"So, spill it dear. Tell me about Mr. Wrong," Jake inquired while taking a sip of his wine.

"Am I that obvious? I honestly don't even know where to begin. I thought things were going great until the little mishap in my hallway last night." I proceeded to tell Jake all about last night's mixed martial arts show and how I had no choice but to kick the druggie's ass. He found it humorous for some reason but knew I didn't. Once he saw how pissed I was over the whole thing, he put his hand on top of mine.

"He broke it off with you because you kicked some guy's ass? Man, I would've been so turned on by that, I'm afraid I would've had to drag you back in your apartment and have my way with you. What the hell is his problem, anyway?"

Jake had no sooner gotten those words out of his mouth when I saw him. Those messy, bronze locks had me on a special radar, and I'll be damned if he wasn't with a very hot Latin chick too. That prick! I couldn't quit staring at them; how dare he dump me for someone else? Granted, she was beautiful, but couldn't he just tell me he had a girlfriend? Why did he feel the need to lie to me?

"Bella! Bella! Are you all right? You're turning about fifty shades of red right now. What's going on?" I didn't know Jake had been trying to get my attention because I was seething.

"What? Oh my God, I can't believe . . ." I was cut off by the Mission: Impossible ringtone. Jake sat there waiting for me to finish but he knew if my dad called, it must be important.

"Charlie, right?" He took a sip of his drink while waiting for me to answer.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I really need to take this. Do you mind? I'll try to hurry and get him off the phone." I answered it, and started to find a private place to talk.

"No problem," Jake mouthed to me.

Charlie proceeded to tell me about the flash drive findings on Emmett's computer. I was thankful for the distraction because I couldn't have taken much more of seeing Edward with someone else. Obviously, the Latin girl had no trust problems and he didn't seem to care about hurting her. What made her so special?

Charlie had discovered road maps directed to the locations where the FBI knew drug exchanges had taken place. That was a good sign. We now had proof C&M had direct knowledge and probable participation in the recent drug trafficking checkpoints.

Unfortunately, no names were listed as drivers or contacts of any sort which means I had more work to do. Charlie was sending down a professional to give me a rundown on these special bugs I needed to plant in Emmett's office. Supposedly, they were the newest wire taps out there and required a specific decoding application. I would also need to gain entrance to his house because I'd bet that's where he schedules meetings with his _special_ clients.

"Listen, Bella," Charlie advised, "you need to be careful with these guys. We don't think they're dangerous in terms of hurting innocent people, but you never know. They do sell drugs for a living, and obviously have no concern what the outcome is to the people they distribute them to."

"I got it, Charlie. I honestly don't think these guys would hurt a fly; at least not Emmett. I've yet to meet Edward. He could be a completely different story," I responded.

"Bella, we really need to get a handle on this already. We know for a fact three big shipments have been transported out of Miami in the last month amounting to millions of dollars. You need to get moving on this other partner and start working your magic. Any idea when you might be introduced to the elusive Mr. Masen?" Charlie started to put on the pressure which means the brass must be breathing down his neck.

"No, I haven't gotten to meet him yet. It's set up for next month though, so I'll have a better idea of who we're dealing with. I hear he's quite the ladies' man so I shouldn't have any problem getting him to talk." I sighed, blowing out a stressful breath. It had been one shitty day and thinking about going back in that restaurant made it even worse.

"Okay, but be careful. I know you can handle yourself, so let's check in at our usual time. Take care. Love you, Bells." The dad in Charlie came out which made me warm inside. It was nice to know someone loved me.

"Thanks. You too. We'll talk soon." I hung up, and started to go back inside. As I turned around, Edward stood right in front of me.

"Are you following me or something?" I asked. Being caught off guard was something I wasn't used to.

"What? No! I thought maybe something was wrong with you, so I came to see if you were okay, that's all. Who were you talking to?" Edward looked curious, maybe even a little jealous, but it was probably just wishful thinking.

"None of your damn business. And why wouldn't I be okay, Edward? Just because you dumped me via text message a few hours ago, my life hasn't ended. I can see yours definitely hasn't either." If he wanted to start something, bring it on!

He proceeded to tell me his dinner date was no more than a client; what type of client I had no idea, and didn't get much of a chance to ask him either. We argued with gradually louder voices until a server interrupted us to ask if everything was okay. Afterwards, Edward pulled me into a side alley; probably to tell me once and for all how our relationship was going to be, or rather not be.

Not sure if I should say what I wanted to say or not, the words flew out of my mouth anyway. "What are you protecting me from?" I had to know because the suspense was killing me. I'm very well-trained at spotting serial killers, rapists and even thieves; Edward was none of those.

"I'm protecting you from me," he whispered.

What happened next was totally unexpected. When he put his face close to mine, I could smell his sweet breath; his body followed subsequently, enveloping me with his warmth. I wanted him more than anything. I knew now he wanted the same thing.

His lips were suddenly on mine; those soft, luscious lips I'd been dreaming about for weeks were now hungrily devouring me, and I never wanted it to stop. My hands grabbed his hair, digging into his head to have more of him near me, not to mention they had a mind of their own at the present moment. Although we were in an alley, we were still in public, which I had to keep reminding myself, because I'd let him take me right here and now. I just didn't feel like spending the night in jail, risking my cover and the embarrassment.

We finally came up for air, the sexual tension in both of us starting to surface with no end in sight. However, I remembered Jake was here and so was Edward's "date." I had no reason not to believe him now, but I would be lying to myself if I didn't admit I was still a little guarded.

He spoke first, saying exactly what I knew already, which included the fact we needed to get rid of our respective dates. We agreed to meet at my place shortly, but my mind kept wandering back to why he thought he would be dangerous for me. Not worrying about dinner companions anymore, I walked back into the restaurant feeling a little more spring in my step.

I found out where Jake was staying at and drove him to his hotel. He kissed my cheek, telling me to be careful and follow my heart.

A few minutes later, I pulled into the parking garage, nervous about tonight, and wondering if he would indeed show up. My heart couldn't take another disappointment; if he didn't turn up, I promised to throw myself into my work and never look at another man again. Okay, so that was probably unlikely, but it would be awhile to trust someone again.

Putting my key in the door, I pulled my purse around on my shoulder and proceeded to open it. Before I could turn the knob all the way, I felt someone grab me from behind and shove me against the door.

I struggled to get out of the man's arms, but his hold on me was pretty tight. Remembering I had my 9 mm strapped to my thigh, I reached down and managed to retrieve it from the holster.

I released the safety and cocked the gun back. "Back off right now, asshole before I blow your head off!" I screamed at the perp, waiting to hear his answer.

"Bella, it's me! What the hell are you doing?" Edward backed up, and I found the lights, flipping them on.

"Holy hell, you scared me to death! How did you get in here?" I questioned accusingly, putting the gun down on the table.

"What are you doing with a gun? Are you crazy? You could've killed me!" Edward said, his breathing a little erratic.

"You took me by surprise. I had no idea when you said you'd meet me back here, that you'd actually be right outside my apartment. A lot of good the locked gates and guards are, huh? Geez!" Realization dawned on me I had just pulled a gun on the man I wanted to sleep with.

"It wasn't that hard to get in here. Are you always this protected? Man, your dad really did show you the ropes, didn't he? I had no idea you were packing tonight." Edward's eyes turned a little darker, and he walked toward me after he realized I wasn't going to shoot him. "Was that under your dress?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm a former Girl Scout; always prepared for whatever comes my way. Sorry about the scare. You surprised me, that's all." _Great, Bella. You've just ruined any chance at all you had with this man_. Why did I decide to carry a gun tonight? I guess I got used to it by being on the job for so many years, I didn't think anything about it. I need to get work out of my head – now.

"You never cease to amaze me. Kung fu fighting in the hallway and now you're turning into Annie Oakley. I'm interested to see what happens next." We stepped closer together, and his proximity made my skin electrify. His fingertips ran slowly up and down my arms while his face neared mine. "Maybe . . ." he stopped talking as he made small kisses up my arm, "you could . . ." ooh, kisses stopped and the tongue came out, licking small circles on the tops of my shoulders, "do an imitation of Jenna Jameson for me," he said in a low seductive voice, as his tongue trailed up my neck in a long, slow line, right up to my earlobe where he sucked gently.

"If you need to do a body search, feel free. I won't stop you." Brave Bella came out to play, as I pushed my body into his. His hardness rubbed up against me, and I knew I couldn't hold out much longer.

"Permission to enter enemy territory, huh? I don't have to be told twice." Edward bent down, crouching at my waist. Taking off one of my shoes, he gently caressed my foot and began to run both his hands up my left leg. Knowing he would find the underwear he first saw me in, a sense of exhilaration ran through me. The underwear gods were shining down on me tonight. He reached my upper thigh but stopped when he felt the gun holster. Unhooking it, his fingers then breezed by my panties, feeling the wetness pooled there.

"These look familiar . . . you know, the first time I saw you in the lingerie store modeling these sexy strips of satin and lace, I got the biggest hard on ever. Then you fell on top of me, and I swear I thought I would explode right then and there," Edward glanced up at me with dark and lustful eyes.

"I think I've got this leg covered. Now, for the other one." Edward picked up my leg, and placed it on his shoulder. Reaching up to my foot, he threw my other shoe behind his back. Long, skilled fingers slid their way up and stopped at the hem of my dress, pushing it up further while he massaged my right thigh. The back of his hand grazed my center when he pulled up, and whispered in my ear. "I need to make sure nothing is hidden in here." The next thing I knew, he had ripped my lace panties off, palming me and teasing my entrance with his fingers.

"Bella . . . is that short for Isabella? Hmm . . . Isabella. My, my, someone is awfully ready for me." Edward muttered teasingly.

"What are you waiting for? I know you don't want me to go all Jackie Chan on your ass. Stop teasing me already and fuck me!" My God, how long was this man going to make me wait?

Edward groaned, "Damn, how I love badass Bella." Just as I was about to grab his head and reach down for him, he pulled me up, grabbing me at my knees and throwing me over his shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing? I'm not some cave girl you can just sling over your shoulder!" I screamed up at him while thumping his back.

"You love it and you know it. Now stop hitting me, and tell me where your bedroom is. We're going to need a soft place for what you're about to experience. Trust me?" He laughed, and swatted my ass.

"Well, if I listened to your advice, I shouldn't. But I'm much too horny to care. Take a left at the staircase, and it's the second door on the right." I huffed because I still hung upside down.

We arrived at my room, and he threw me down on the bed. I wasted no time in grabbing at his shirt and ripping it open, hearing the buttons falling to the floor. "Sorry about the shirt, I'll buy you another one." I breathed heavily, now sitting up on my knees.

Edward cupped my face into his hands and kissed me hard. His probing tongue found its way into my mouth, and we kissed sensually at first, but it got more demanding and needy the further we went.

While he pulled his shirt off, our lips were still connected, the pressure becoming more intense as we both shed the rest of our clothes. We were both naked on the bed when he pushed me down and dug his fingers at my waist.

"This isn't going to be gentle, Bella. I've wanted to do this since the first time I saw you." Edward pulled his hand back and grabbed a condom by the side of the bed which he must've laid there while I was busy ripping clothes off. "I was a Scout too. I'm always prepared."

Edward ripped the package open, and slid on the condom. He lined himself up at my entrance and pushed into me with such intense feeling I moaned in ecstasy.

"Oh. My. God. Edward!" I muttered breathlessly while grabbing him by the hips.

"Keep begging for it, Bella. It only spurs me on more. I'm going to fuck you all night long, so I hope you have nothing to do tomorrow." I had never experienced anything this pleasurable before; Edward's pledge of taking me in this bed all night did nothing but spark every fiber of my being.

As he slid in and out of me at a furious pace, my heart raced and the slightly familiar coil began to unfold. "Edward, I'm so close."

"Hold on, baby. I want you to come with me." He grabbed my leg, bending it at the knee and pressed it against his chest, driving even deeper into me while his hands feverishly gripped the side of my hips.

My hips thrust up, matching his in rhythm. Glorious wouldn't even begin to describe the intensity of our connection. Edward was an amazing lover. He set my leg back down, placing a pillow underneath my backside so he could go deeper into me. My hands grabbed a hold of the sheets, fisting them as I came closer and closer to the edge. Edward leaned over, taking one of my breasts in his mouth, sucking and biting it until I couldn't take it any longer.

Screaming out his name, my walls clenched around him as my back arched off the bed, knocking the headboard back. "EDDWWAAAARRRDD!"

"AAAAHHH, Bella FUCK!" Edward growled as he poured into me, his body tensed and every muscle tightened while he rode out his orgasm. He collapsed on my body and we lay there in one big, sweaty heap, our breathing finally getting slower as we came down from our highly intense experience.

"Wow." We both laughed, and Edward rolled over to lie beside me.

"I'll be right back." Edward kissed me briefly on the lips, then got up to go to the bathroom.

As I lay there staring at the ceiling, I realized I just had the best sex of my life. Thinking back on my previous experiences, nothing else compared to it. Yes, it was fast and furious, but holy hell does that man have a major talent. I also realized I didn't know that much about him. _Great, Bella. Screw the guy first and get to know him later._

Edward came back into the bedroom, in all his wonderful naked glory, making sure I saw him as he entered the doorway. I couldn't help but focus on one area. I mean good Lord, how could anyone in their right mind not look at his fabulous package? I am one lucky woman.

"See something you like?" Edward asked, as he began to survey the territory. No need for me to be discreet; he was quite a confident man, which happened to be one of my favorite traits.

I leaned up and pulled back the covers for him to get in the bed. "Oh yes, cave girl like very much."

He laughed as he started crawling on the bed towards me, his lips pulled back like he was snarling, showing me his beautiful teeth.

"What are you supposed to be, a werewolf?" I asked, tipping my head and smiling at him playfully.

"I thought you enjoyed me going all cave man on your ass, so I thought I'd play the part. You know we're just getting started for the night, right Barbarella? All your plans for the weekend are cancelled because you and I will not leave this bed. That is, unless you'd like to christen most of your furniture in this condo. By the way, I have no objection to hard surfaces." Edward grinned while moving down between my legs, spreading them apart to his liking.

"Don't you think we should talk a little bit? You know, get to know each other a little more before round two?" I wasn't really sure why those words were coming out of my mouth because I was more than ready to have him inside me again. However, sensible Bella was rearing her head, knowing we should discover more about the other before things get out of hand.

"There's plenty of time for talk later, B." At that moment, Edward wasted no more time talking to fulfill any and all cave girl fantasy I could ever have. This man would be the death of me−and I was proud to be his victim.

"Who was your first crush?"

"Easy. Shelly Hernandez in the fourth grade. That girl wore the cutest plaid mini skirt and white knee socks I'd ever seen. But then again, every girl wore plaid skirts and knee socks – our school had uniforms." Edward snickered, pulling me closer to him on the couch. True to his word, we performed quite a few sex acts in almost every nook and cranny of my condo.

I didn't think I'd be able to walk tomorrow.

My legs ran up and down his while he pondered his next question. It had been my idea to play twenty questions; knowing it would be a fun game while revealing important facts about ourselves at the same time.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Really, that's all you got? I give you only twenty questions and you waste it on my favorite color?" I had to give him grief for that one. Way too easy . . . however I should be thanking my lucky stars he's not asking me what I do for a living. It would be hard to lie to him.

"Green."

"Good to know."

"Do you want to know why?"

"No." Edward yawned.

"Okaayyy. Why not?"

"Some things are better left unknown."

Huh. Truer words were never spoken.

He began to kiss my shoulder. His hands were already running through my hair, putting me closer to a much needed slumber. My head lie on his rising chest, his breathing at a slow and steady pace. The living room was getting a little lighter, which meant sunrise was just around the corner. We had been at it since we left the restaurant; I was completely exhausted so I knew he must be too.

"My turn. If you were a Disney character, which one would you be and why?" I asked, giggling at the absurdity of my question, but proud of myself for thinking outside the box.

"Ooh, good one. Let me think a minute." Edward contemplated this one for awhile. If he took much longer, I'd definitely be falling asleep. "I'd be the Genie in Aladdin."

Wow, that certainly shocked me. "Really? Out of hundreds of characters, that's the one you'd choose? Why?"

"I'd love to have the opportunity to grant wishes to people who really need them." Edward closed his eyes, his hand movements getting slower and slower through my hair.

If I wasn't careful, I could really fall for him; something I told myself I'd never do with a job like mine.

I now knew what my wish would be.

**Jenna Jameson is a famous adult film star if you haven't figured that one out already.**

**I got picked for the Under the Radar featured story! Awesome banner they made for me too – it rocks! Thanks to !**

**Okay, next chapter is taking a different turn. It will finally reveal what happened to Tanya and I think it will surprise quite a few readers. At least I'm hoping it will.**

**Thanks also to everyone who is reading this story. I'm having lots of fun writing it! Again, reviews are great! **


	17. Chapter 17

Hey everyone! So, I'm trying something completely different. It was suggested to me by one of my betas to write this chapter in 3rd person. I think it turned out pretty good and you'll finally find out some surprises – if you haven't already figured it out, of course! Thanks for hanging in there with me and we're getting into some good stuff now . . .

**Chapter 17 – Courage**

**JPOV**

"If I said no more water, than that's what I meant. Either you start listening to me, or you'll end up inside the cell with them. Got it?" James found it difficult to get good help these days.

"Boss, she's going to starve to death and get dehydrated if we don't feed her. I thought you said we were using her for ransom money." Dwayne had no clue about keeping hostages which pissed James off. He asked around for the best people, but found out quickly that isn't what he got.

"Dwayne, I'm in charge here. If I think she needs more to drink, I'll give it to her. Now get the hell out of here. I don't want to see you anymore tonight."

James needed time to think. That bitch, Tanya, screwed up everything he had invested many years in planning. She had to go and get herself pregnant which threw a wrench into ever getting back at the most selfish prick that inhabited the planet Earth. No doubt, Edward Masen would still get exactly what was coming to him though.

At least Victoria was still in the picture. She made a great spy, keeping Masen in check in more ways than one. James hated Edward Masen with a passion.

Ever since they were teenagers and after James' dad started dating Edward's mother, he resented every fiber of his being. Edward was always better at everything. Edward played sports better. He excelled in academics, where James never received any scholastic honors. He always got the girls; not just any girl in high school but the most beautiful ones too. And last but not least, he got the job. The job that made him into what he was today.

The drug kingpin of the south walked around Miami like he owned the damned place; hell, he probably did with all the business he stole from James. James started that business from scratch when he was sixteen years old, and out of the kindness of his heart, he offered one Eddie Masen a cut because he was down and out on his luck. James regretted that move until this very day.

Yeah, little Jimmy would be giving ole' Eddie Masen a taste of his very own medicine.

It started with bringing down the organization that should've been his from the start. James had worked long and hard to acquire the people he now had working for him. He still had easy access to drugs, thank goodness, and his connections were still around, at least the ones that Edward didn't steal from him. Those contacts had come in pretty handy since most thugs liked to be paid in drugs, doing almost anything he asked just to get high.

James also found out something very interesting about his old buddy, and it's because of this latest discovery that he took very specific care in planning one of his most intricate plots yet. Edward had a new lady friend. Now, this wasn't just any new friend; Edward's latest bed partner happened to be none other than James' old college girlfriend, Bella Swan. What a coincidence.

Edward had an uncanny ability to steal everything James ever wanted in life. First his job, then the girl James wanted for himself, but couldn't have. He hadn't put two and two together until recently when Tanya squealed about why she couldn't spy on Masen anymore. Apparently, he screamed out another woman's name in the throes of passion which pissed her off so bad, she never wanted to see him again. When James asked about it, all she kept saying was she didn't ever want to hear the name Bella again.

A couple months ago, James had spotted Bella in a club and couldn't believe his eyes. He pretended like he didn't notice her; not wanting to give her the satisfaction of knowing he pined after her for awhile after she left him. Bella hadn't changed much, except to get more beautiful than he had even imagined. Could they be one in the same?

James had to know, so he had her followed over the next few weeks to make certain it was her. To his astonishment, his hired help called him one night to let him know he discovered Bella having dinner with none other than Edward Masen himself in a small Cuban restaurant in Little Havana.

Bella Swan, the one and only girl who humiliated James and lived to tell about it. The girl whom James became so infatuated with; he followed her everywhere she went while they dated. He had to keep close tabs on her; she didn't seem the type to be trusted. Oh, how that proved to be true! The little slut lied to him, telling James she had to move to take a summer job with her father. Then, she had the nerve to bring her little friend, Mike Newton with her to break up with him.

He had thought long and hard about his revenge on her, but she disappeared so fast, it was as if she never existed. None of this bothered James now, because he had big plans for Ms. Swan, which ultimately led to a big payback for Eddie.

Bringing down Edward had been his life's mission since Edward decided to snatch away his livelihood at such a young age. James had been scrounging around for years, hopping from one job to another trying to make ends meet. Life had not been kind to him.

One summer, many years ago, he thought his luck had turned around when he found a decent woman and respectable job at a factory in Valdosta, Georgia, not far from the Florida state line. His girl obeyed him and would always take care of his needs, having dinner on the table when he got home, and keeping the apartment nice and clean.

However, one night they got into a terrible fight over James' jealousy toward one of his girlfriends' co-workers. She worked at a local restaurant and had just gotten off work when he spotted her talking to a man at the bar. According to her, they were talking about his ex-girlfriend, and she was giving him advice, but that's not what it looked like to him. James pulled his girl out of the bar into the parking lot outside, and started showing her what happens when she plays him for a fool.

After the third slap to her face, they were pulled apart by a couple of big men who were walking out of the restaurant. The police were called, and James got thrown in jail on a domestic battery charge while she was transported to the local emergency room. She pressed charges saying that it wasn't the first time he had hit her, so he spent a few nights there before he could post bail. Needless to say when he was released, the first person he started looking for had skipped town with nothing but a note on his kitchen table.

It said she had loved him despite his major anger issues because deep down, she knew he loved her in his own special way. However, she couldn't take the beatings anymore, choosing to live her life in a fight-free relationship with someone who could love her unconditionally and without worrying if she would be alive the next day.

Years had passed since then, and James now hated women with a passion. He considered them useless, vile and totally inept creatures that were only good for screwing and nothing else. This is why he used them to get ahead in life; his stepping stones to success as he liked to call them.

He had two female "soldiers" at his disposal recently, but one of them began to get greedy. It was a delicate task to keep them in line all this time, but he managed quite handily up to this point. Tanya started falling in love with Edward, which was something James didn't have a problem with at first. He knew he shared her body with his arch nemesis, but it intrigued him to know he had the upper hand, which thrilled him to no end. Tanya had no idea she was being played, and ole' Eddie boy was none the wiser either, making James squeal with delight.

When he needed her to go to various clubs, making out with multiple men to build up his army, she took on the role brilliantly. Afterwards, he rewarded her very nicely, providing her with a little coke and sex. The men he had acquired were eager to work with him, knowing they'd be supplied with the premium stuff if they'd do James' dirty work. This worked to his advantage since most of them were junkies anyway knowing they'd have to pay big bucks if they were to get their hands on Edward's drugs.

It was pure luck that one of these lackeys knew the Franchettis' really well. He had done some work for them in the past, and it was in passing conversation that James had mentioned to him he needed an inside source to bring down Masen's operation. The kid called Johnny, informing him the drug run was a no-go. Johnny took his word for it. It was a cinch to get them to make a phone call to make them think the drop had been cancelled; he really trusted him. When the car came in the warehouse, the Franchetti's thought the car had been jacked so they acted out of pure Mafia instinct. Kill first and ask questions later.

James had scouted out Edward's operation for years, and it took about that long to gain an inside source. It had been difficult to find a mole, but he had done his homework. James trailed different employees week to week, finding some angle to gain an upper hand. Finally, he had been trailing a man named Mickey when he discovered his wife had a debilitating disease and needed extra funds to pay his medical bills. Mickey turned out to be his ace in the hole, informing James of unscheduled runs at a moment's notice. To be careful, James didn't act on all of them so he wouldn't gain any suspicion from Team Edward's camp. It had all played so well up to this point. That is, until Tanya had to go and complicate the situation.

Tanya's pregnancy was not planned, and she announced to him last week she intended to keep the baby, which sent him over the edge. That would absolutely not do. It didn't fall into line with James' strategy, so he had to take matters into his own hands and kidnap her. Not only did he not want children, but he also hated the fact Tanya disobeyed him. No one disobeyed James and got away with it – ever.

The room where he kept her reeked of urine and sweat, which made him gag as he entered it, leaving no question in his mind to get rid of Tanya sooner, rather than later. What made her think he would let her keep the baby? He knew it was his; Tanya admitted she and Eddie always used protection, but he hated using those nasty condoms.

He walked closer, her fragile and beaten body still handcuffed to the bedpost, bloodied and beginning to smell.

"Have you learned your lesson yet, Tanya?" James asked, grinning smugly while leaning against the wall.

Tanya struggled to speak, but when she did, the words came out soft and pleading. "Please, James, let me go. I promise I won't tell anyone, especially Edward. I just want to have this baby. You don't have to have any part in raising it." Tanya begged, praying some sort of compassion would finally show up in this man.

"You didn't listen to me, Tanya. I told you to never get pregnant and to do as you're told. You fucked everything up, so now I have to get rid of you. Sorry baby, but the fun's all over." James crouched down beside her, cupping his hand under her bruised chin.

"No, please! You can't just kill me – I'm pregnant with your child. Doesn't that mean anything to you? We can have a good life, I promise. I'll take care of you, James. You'll make a great dad, you'll see." Tanya sobbed, gasping in huge amounts of air as she clung to life. She knew she didn't have long to live if she stayed in this room, so she had to try and convince him she was on his side.

"Nice try, but it ain't gonna work, darlin'. I hate kids. You were good at your job for awhile, listening in on Eddie's phone calls, gaining his confidence and all that shit. But now it's time for you to go. I have no more use for you," James explained in a clipped manner.

Tanya frantically thought about what she could say or do to change James' mind about killing her, because she knew time was ticking. She had to think fast.

"Eleazer is my uncle, and you know he helps out Edward, getting him the primo stuff over state lines. I'm sure he could help you too. Or maybe drop Edward as a client." Tanya's sobs were slowing down quite a bit as an idea just occurred to her. "Better yet, he can set Edward up! Just let me call him, please. He'll do anything I say. I promise!" She bent her head down as tears rolled onto the floor, her mascara trickling down her face, leaving wavy black streaks.

James seemed to like the last statement because his facial expression changed from annoyed to interested in seconds flat. "Hmm. Now that interests me, baby. Setting up ole' Eddie boy would be just the ticket." James thought about this, pacing back and forth in the small bedroom while Tanya held onto to any sort of hope she had left.

Killing Edward outright had been the only thing he thought about for years; a slow death, one that would take hours or even days. However, seeing Edward behind bars with no one waiting on him hand and foot, no fancy, expensive sports car to drive and no girlfriend to screw, sounded pretty enticing also. As a matter of fact, the only screw he'd be getting would be from his new, muscular, tattooed friends in the cell block next to him.

James rubbed his stubbled chin while leaning against the doorway thinking how it could work to his advantage. No way in hell was he letting Tanya go. If anything went wrong with the proposed scheme, she would be nothing but collateral damage. Victoria would see to that. She'd wanted to kill Tanya for a long time now, stating how weak she had become, especially since getting herself pregnant.

Victoria was the only smart woman James depended on now. Knowing she could be as ruthless as he was, she thrived on controversy and obeyed him to a tee. Whenever she rendezvoused with Edward, she gathered information while he slept, rifling through his desk drawers and copying files off his home computer. It had been pretty hilarious watching him put state of the art cameras around his house when the culprit was right under his nose – not to mention under his body.

Victoria screwed anything that walked to make a buck; James and she had some really heated sex that would put most pornos to shame. Hell, Tanya even participated most of the time. That was, until she got herself knocked up. For some reason, she recently considered herself too good to have the usual threesome that occurred between them and wanted nothing to do with it. James put a halt to that, making her and Victoria service him whenever he wanted it. No woman was about to tell him what she was going to do and not going to do – especially in his presence.

"I actually like that idea, Tanya. It's the best suggestion you've had in a very long time." James went over to her, bending down and looking her straight in the eye. "However, you'd better not be pulling any funny stuff, or you and that . . . thing inside you can say bye-bye. Now here's what we're gonna do. I'll give you a cell phone, and don't worry, it will be untraceable. I'm not stupid. You'll tell Uncle E exactly what I tell you to, word for word. If you don't, or give him any clue to where you are, I will see to it you and your Uncle will never see the light of day again. Are we clear?"

Tanya nodded slowly, her strength weakening by the minute. She couldn't remember the last time she ate anything substantial and had only had sips of water for the last two days. Her unborn baby was the only thing she cared about anymore. She knew she had to keep herself alive for the baby, of course, but she didn't know if it would survive without being nourished herself.

If she had to play along though, that's exactly what she would do.

"I'll do everything you to tell me to do, I promise. He is going to ask you to guarantee my safety though, you have to know that. He knows I'm pregnant too." Tanya decided not to do any bargaining with James because it wouldn't do any good, however her uncle was good at that sort of thing. She'd leave it to him to figure out the negotiating while she just tried to stay alive.

"If I were you, I'd just be worrying that he pulls through on his end of the bargain. I'll be back shortly with a prepaid phone so don't go anywhere, okay, peaches?" James asked slyly, knowing Tanya couldn't go anywhere handcuffed to the bed. Just to make sure, he back-handed her across the face, his big ring hitting her so hard, she felt her tooth break.

After he left, Tanya tried to sit up to get more comfortable, but she barely had the strength to move. Her wrists hurt so bad, bleeding from the tight handcuffs which bound her to the rusty bedpost, and her head throbbed where he had kicked her earlier in the day. At least she thought it had occurred earlier that day. It could've been yesterday, but the days were all running together at this point. Uncle Eleazer would take care of James. He just had to. She had to be optimistic to keep her spirits up for the baby.

As she moved around on the floor, Tanya swore she heard sounds coming from the next room. James couldn't be back from getting a phone that quickly, and she heard him order that idiot Dwayne away. Was there someone else keeping watch?

As James sat outside the abandoned house where he'd concocted what he called Project KEN, he lit up a cigarette, then chuckled to himself thinking of the irony of the name. Edward did look a little bit like the Ken doll which made it all the more amusing, knowing that being handsome would definitely have its disadvantages where he was going.

Project Kill Edward Now was about to get a new name, and James began to like the idea more and more of him rotting in jail, being someone's bitch for the rest of eternity. He formulated his plan, letting Eleazer think he'd be in control when James had no intention of relinquishing anything to anyone.

Time was of the essence, but he also knew these things needed detailed planning. He didn't get this far without thinking things through carefully, so he needed to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible when Tanya called him.

After a couple of hours of relentless pacing and talking to himself, James' plan seemed to be all worked out in his mind, which pleased him to no end. He decided to go in the house to inform Tanya about how he wanted her to proceed in her discussions with Eleazer, but when he entered the room, he found her slumped over, head hanging down and blood everywhere.

"Dammit!" James exclaimed loudly, as he ran into the room and pulled Tanya's head up by her hair. Her eyes rolled back in her head, her skin white and clammy, slick with sweat.

"Don't you die on me! You owe me a phone call. Wake up, Tanya . . . now. C'mon!" James continued to scream at Tanya, kicking her around until her frail body fell completely limp, her arm still hanging from the bed post. He bent down, surveying the situation and contemplating what he should do next. Looking toward the floor, James noticed a pool of blood between Tanya's legs, realization dawned on him; she must have miscarried.

His ears perked up when he heard a soft whimper, thinking he still might get his wish by having Tanya conscious enough to make one last phone call. He didn't care if she lived or died; just as long as she carried out her last promise was all he needed from her.

"Tanya, c'mon baby. You're doing fine." James grabbed the bottle of water he had on the dresser across the room and put it to her mouth, helping her take a sip of it.

"B-b-baby . . ." Tanya tried her hardest to get words out but it was a struggle. James gave her more water, producing peanuts out of his pocket to feed her. He shoved a couple in her mouth while she tried to chew on them.

"The baby will be fine, Tanya, don't worry about it right now. Remember we need to call Eleazer to tell him about our plan so you can be free soon. You need to work with me, here. Do you remember his phone number?" James questioned darkly, knowing he needed her somewhat coherent long enough to make the phone call. After that, he really didn't care what happened to her.

Tanya's eyes opened a little, showing small signs of life behind them. The peanuts tasted so good to her; it had been days since she had eaten anything substantial. She knew in her heart this would be her last day on earth, her inability to form a few words and her thought process leaving her at a quick pace.

James spoke as slow as he could so she'd be able to understand him. He proceeded to tell her about his plan and what she needed to say to Eleazer as to not make him suspicious. He thought she understood even though her eyes were barely open; her lips dry as the Sahara desert as she tried to form words from her lips.

Damn! If she would have only mentioned the possibility of Edward going to jail a week ago, Tanya would've had the strength to talk to Eleazer. Now, she would barely get through it so he had to make this a quick one.

"305-555-1215," she barely mumbled, as James quickly took it to memory. He snatched out his cell phone at warp speed so he wouldn't forget it, plugging in the number to get Eleazer on the phone as soon as possible. He knew she didn't have much time left, but Eleazer didn't know that.

"Okay, Tanya now if you want to stay alive, you need to tell him exactly what I just told you. You got that?" Tanya glazed look told him to just stick the cell phone up to her ear and pray for the best. Not that he had ever prayed in his life; no God had ever listened to him before, making tonight no different.

He gave Tanya one more drink of water before putting the phone up to her mouth. She swallowed hard, most of it just spilling down her chin. She glanced down looking at the blood on the floor between her legs and felt it inside her pants too. Her baby was gone, and now she had nothing else to live for.

Her life hadn't amounted to much until she found out she was pregnant. Granted, she probably knew the father was a complete psychopath, but she had no idea he would react the way he did. However, when he suddenly kidnapped her, she wished she had never said a word to him. Knowing he might cut her life short, she'd never get to see the child she wished so much to have.

She could get one last act of revenge on James, putting his sorry ass in a constant state of motion, moving from one place to another and always looking over his shoulder.

The phone pressed tightly to her ear, she heard a faint ringing in the background. James had kicked her head so many times not only did it ache badly, now she could hardly hear either. Finally, she heard a frail but frantic voice on the other end and recognized it as her uncle. It was going to be tough to muster enough strength to power up her voice, but deep down, she knew it was the only way to end James reign of terror.

"Uncle E-Eleazer . . ." she barely muttered the words, but prayed for strength to get it out of her mouth.

"Tanya!" Her uncle screamed on the other end. "Is that really you? How are you? Are you okay? Where are you?" Eleazer couldn't quit asking enough questions before James kicked her feet, asking her silently to speak up and get on with her detailed directions already.

"I-i-it's me. I need . . . to tell you . . . something. Listen carefully and grab a pen, okay?" Tanya's mouth was very dry, but she was determined to get this out.

"Okay, baby. Hold on for me . . . I'm ready now." Eleazer's voice was shaky, but relieved to hear his niece on the other end of the phone.

Tanya's voice gathered volume and speed. "James Tanner. 12556 Shady Oak Road, Miami Beach . . . ugh!" The line went dead, leaving Eleazer wondering what the hell just happened. He did manage to get the name written down and the address; albeit without a zip code, but it appears Tanya never left Miami after all. This did not sound good at all. The line going dead like it did, only meant one thing. Either Tanya got caught with a phone and someone found her, or she set up her kidnapper on purpose. Either way meant bad news.

"You fucking bitch! You're gonna die now!" James took the phone, throwing it as hard as he could across the room, watching it break into a hundred pieces. No one got the best of him, least of all some lazy slut who was stupid enough to sleep with the likes of Edward Masen. James had one less avenue to explore to get even with Eddie but no one knew of his ace in the hole. If worse came to worse, he'd have to use it, but as of right now he needed to keep it quiet.

Tanya peered up at him, an eerie smirk on her face. Looking straight at him, she spit right in his face, laughed and said a silent prayer. It was the last thing she did before James shot her right through her heart.

"Fucking hell! Why did I even think I could trust her? Aaaahhhhhhh!" James screamed so loud that the person in the other room huddled up in the corner, thinking she would be next.

It didn't matter if she was, she thought. Nothing seemed to matter much anymore as she scratched off one more tally on the wall, marking yet one more day in hell.

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
>So, what'd you all think? Did you like James' point of view? If so, let me know if you'd like to see his other chapters in 3rd person again. Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated as always.<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: This chapter is a little longer than others because a lot is going on and needed to all be done in one chapter. Thanks for reading everyone!**

**Chapter 18 – I Need to Know**

**BPOV**

"These RF transmitters are the newest technology invented for the FBI. They won't even be on the market for another five years. As you know, these are completely wireless but the cool thing about them is they're undetectable with the human eye. Cool, huh? Bella? Bellllaaa . . ."

Mark shook me a little until I began to come around. I felt like death. When I woke up this morning, my throat was killing me, and I could hardly swallow.

It had been a long time since I felt so weak and run down like this. Usually, I didn't get sick that often, but my guess is I'd caught a bug from that stupid kid down the hall. He had come to my door the other day selling cookie dough for the school band sneezing all over the place. When he handed me the signup sheet, I grabbed it and just put myself down for four tubs so he'd get the hell away from me.

"Sorry, Mark. As you can probably tell, I'm not feeling well. I think I caught a virus or something," I replied in a very nasal voice, reaching over for my tenth tissue of the morning.

Mark was one of our technology gurus who I'd gotten to know over the years from the many missions we'd been on together. He had such love of anything pertaining to electronic surveillance and countermeasures. He should since he had patented most of them; the FBI got lucky when he agreed to work solely for us ten years ago.

I'd be lying if I said nothing surprised me with the technology being developed these days. Just twenty years ago, cell phones were the size of a brick and laptops didn't exist. Today, people go insane if they can't grab their phones out of their pockets making certain they're at a specific location to obtain a great internet connection.

Now, Mark showed me the tiniest of RF transmitters to eavesdrop on our enemies while they conspired to do their dirty work as we listened in to everything unbeknownst to them.

They would never know they were being bugged because the transmitters were the size of a period at the end of a sentence. Yes, such brilliant and amazing technology that's being developed these days.

"Awesome, Mark! I appreciate you coming down here from D.C. to explain how it all works too. It'll be difficult to install, but after your training session I hope to do it justice." My eyes hurt from looking under microscopes for the past few hours, but it would be worth it in the end.

"No problem, Bella. You're the best agent I've ever worked with, so I have complete faith in you. Don't forget your miniature pliers in the toolbox along with the other tools we talked about earlier. You won't be able to install the transmitters without them." Mark started packing up his business supplies along with his luggage to go to the airport.

"Oh, and make sure you don't drink any coffee before you install it. Any jitters on your end and you'll lose the transmitter, just like that." Mark snapped his fingers quickly, making me jump, but allowing me to understand just how precarious the job would be if I didn't do it as accurately as possible. "And you, my dear, need a doctor. You look and sound horrible. Would you like me to drive you?"

"I'll be okay. Besides, you have a plane to catch. I'll take your advice though. I definitely need medication or it'll take awhile to get rid of this."

We said our goodbyes while I walked Mark to the door, telling him I'd be in touch with him as soon as everything was in place. He'd left me with the surveillance audio equipment to listen in once I had gotten in Emmett's house and finished the job.

Despite Emmett being my boss and hanging out with him at Rose's party, it would still be a little difficult to get into his house. I could conjure up many reasons to go there, but getting the bugs where I wanted them would be the hard part – for a normal civilian. My FBI training will come in handy as I hadn't used any good diversion tactics in awhile; it'll be fun to pull the wool over Cullen's eyes.

Thinking of pulling the wool over someone made me think of Edward and I's tryst last week. We had fallen asleep on my couch around sunrise after having mind-blowing sex all night long in about every room of my house. To say I hadn't thought about him every day since then would be an understatement, but then again we'd seen each other almost every day since.

The only night I hadn't seen him was last Friday night when he said he had a meeting scheduled to go over his trip in a couple weeks. Ironically, I would be out of town around the same time, so at least I wouldn't feel guilty going on my business trip as well. I knew I had a big problem on my hands when all these emotions came over me every time we saw each other. My motto of not getting close to any man while on a job was taking a back seat, and soon I'd have to let Edward go, even though I knew it would be hard to do.

We had so much fun together this past week that I couldn't put into words the feelings I experienced when we were together. It was supposed to be only sex, a fuck buddy to call every now and then for a booty call when the stress of both jobs were getting the best of me. However just after our first night together, Edward texted me the next day, telling me what a wonderful time he had, which made it all the more difficult to stay away. He was just too cute for words.

**Hi, Beautiful. I hope you're not regretting our night together – it definitely solidified the fact I'm buying stock in all lingerie stores starting tomorrow!**

-E

**Really? Now why would you go and do that? I vaguely recall having lingerie on for all of three minutes before you ripped them to shreds. However, if memory has it, my heels stayed on for much longer.**

-B

**What can I say? I'm definitely a leg man. And ass . . . and tits . . . you get the idea. I wanted to apologize for falling asleep on you. Someone almost fucked me to death, not to mention almost shot me. Although I did like the body search, I must admit. Can we do a cavity search the next time?**

-E

**My, my, always the naughty boy. You need to be taught a lesson. Shall I come over there tonight and beat you – with my night stick? Or I could just bring my chest full of toys instead? I'm sure there's other, um, _things_ we can hide in certain places . . . **

-B

**Hmmm . . . the direction of this conversation is going downhill fast which is usually the way I like it. But it's probably best that it's just texting at the moment because I'm getting ready to meet a client. By the way, this one is a man. If I didn't have to meet him, I'd be in my car so fast; you wouldn't know what hit you.**

-E

I really wanted to try and not see him the day after sex for many reasons. One, I needed some recuperation time after all those orgasms; Edward was quite well-endowed and my girlie parts were pretty sore at the moment. Secondly, isn't there a cardinal rule of some sort that says after having sex for the first time you should wait to see each other a couple days? Or maybe that was just my stupid rule. I needed to keep him at a certain distance or this sex thing would mature into some sort or relationship, and I just couldn't have that.

**Well, I guess it's my loss then. Have fun at your meeting. I actually am going to one right now as well. Call you later?**

-B

**I'm counting on it. Talk to you later.**

-E

And that's how we'd been conversing ever since. The words flowed easily, making us very comfortable with each other and not the least bit awkward.

Grabbing my phone, I called Alice first to let her know I wouldn't be in to work today and to cancel all my appointments. She gave me the name of her doctor, which helped since I hadn't the time to find any yet. I had no reason to, but I did need a refill on my birth control pills, so I asked her for a gynecologist as well.

The doctor Alice recommended seemed nice, as he poked around, felt my neck and stuck that damn tongue depressor in my throat. He did a culture and low and behold, I had strep throat. He gave me a ten day antibiotic and told me to stay in bed for a couple days which I really couldn't afford to do, but since I was highly contagious, I had no choice.

For the next three days I stayed in bed. Edward had been really great about taking care of me; I had texted him telling him I was sick, and the next thing I knew he brought me chicken soup. The first day my fever reached 102 degrees and he stayed by my bedside, wiping my forehead while making sure I took my medication. By the fourth day, I felt so much better that I went to work, no longer being contagious.

Today, Alice and I were finalizing my itinerary for the Vegas trip despite my mind being in another place. Now that I felt better, Edward promised to take me to the Marc Anthony concert tonight which made me think about swaying to the music with his arms around me. My head against his hard, chiseled chest, hips moving back and forth with Marc belting out his lyrics, "Ay, ay, ay, I'm out of my mind, let it rain over me . . ."

"MARIE!" Alice shouted at me which made me jump out of my seat.

"Huh?" Geesh. Why did she have to yell all the time?

"Girl, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you got it reeeeaaaalll bad. I've been talking to you for three minutes now, and all I see when I look at you is someone who has nothing but stars in their eyes. When am I going to meet this illustrious new man, anyway?" Alice asked me curiously, looking at me like she couldn't wait to hear my answer.

"First of all, I wasn't daydreaming. Secondly, I don't know when you're meeting him. I'm trying to take it slow and not get too attached," I responded softly, not sure if I was trying to persuade her or me.

"Marie, are you kidding yourself? You're completely nuts over this man! I know you guys text constantly because you're giggling every twenty minutes in your office, and before you got sick, you actually left work on time. What's the big deal? Why can't you just enjoy being in a relationship?"

Alice had a very good point, because unbeknownst to her, I should be able to enjoy a relationship. She had no idea of my background, and why I couldn't start something up with a guy, so I tried to cover up any illusions on my part.

"I'm just a little gun shy due to my past relationships, that's all. I'm a little unlucky in love, so I try to take it one step at a time." I lied a little bit to keep her from hounding me anymore.

"I'll buy that. You just look so happy lately, and it warms my heart to know at least someone's getting laid." Alice giggled while writing down my choice of flight times.

"Speaking of getting laid, how are Rose and Emmett getting along? I saw how they were looking at each other in the staff meeting yesterday, trying to make sure no one noticed while they played footsie under the table." I thought back to the meeting where I dropped my pencil accidentally. When I bent down to pick it up, Rose had her shoe off, her foot practically rubbing on Emmett's crotch. I chuckled to myself because when I rose up, she blushed fifty shades of red, knowing I had caught her.

"Ooh, you didn't hear? They're making it public. Emmett's even having Human Resources change the non-fraternization policy that he first implemented. Pretty ironic, huh?" Alice raised her eyebrows, knowing the policy would be a game changer within the company. I believe she had her eye on someone from Marketing, so it would benefit her as well.

"Emmett's having a little get together tomorrow night. Has he talked to you about it yet?"

"Uh, no he hasn't. Maybe I'm not invited." Silently, I hoped he would invite me because then I wouldn't have to find an excuse to go to his house to plant my bugs.

"Oh, you'll be invited. He just hasn't called you yet because he's busy finalizing his Vegas plans too. There is a schedule change with the Audi client on the first Monday we're there, so he's been on the phone re-arranging things. The get together is just for the people who are going to the convention. We need to fine tune the fall lineup and get our Marketing strategy together. He thought it'd be more comfortable at his house in a less stressful atmosphere. Those meetings can get pretty hot and heavy."

What a perfect scenario for me to get in and get my job done while the Marketing folks duke it out over how they want the fall lineup to be presented to the media. I heard last year's strategy meeting resulted in the top two Marketing executives getting into a fist fight.

"Well, I'll make sure I'm free tomorrow night then." That would mean I wouldn't be seeing Edward tomorrow though which is probably better because I really needed to stop getting so attached.

Alice and I finished up the Vegas schedule leaving me enough time to check my FBI email from my laptop. I walked over to the leather couch across my office dragging my computer with me. While it powered up, I tried telling myself to stop thinking of Edward so much. He just made me feel so good when I was with him, he was so tender and compassionate, caring about my needs when even I didn't.

For some reason, I had a feeling Edward never had an idyllic childhood. He wouldn't open up to me about it, but the one night he came over for dinner to my condo, he eluded to the fact his mom had passed away but wouldn't say any more than that. I didn't want to pry, but I definitely wanted to know him better. Maybe after this whole sting was over, there might be a chance for us. Hopefully.

My laptop booted up while I went over to lock my office door. No one usually came in unannounced, but I wasn't taking any chances. I flopped back on the comfortable couch, took off my shoes and rubbed my toes. My eyes stung a little, probably from being on a computer all day, so I squeezed them tight, opening them slowly to bring them back to life. My body was still run down from the strep. The yoga workouts weren't any more difficult than usual, but they did make my body ache and my neck seemed a little stiff too. It didn't help being laid up in a bed for three days either.

Maybe it was all those different positions he put me in last week-my body was used to the stretching but not those hard surfaces I was put against. Not that I was complaining.

Previously, I wondered if Edward and I would even be compatible. After our one night of fantastic sex, I knew we'd be fine in that area. It was the companion part, the conversing about everyday things like politics, pop culture and the economy that worried me. What if we didn't get along and had nothing at all to talk about? What if he was one of those people who just nodded to everything I had to say whether he believed it or not? _Why__did__I__care__so__much?_

We decided to calm it down a bit; since we couldn't keep our hands off each other that one night, we figured it'd be nice to know each other a little better first before we dove back into a sexual relationship again.

It seems I had nothing to worry about since our conversations turned out really awesome. I was an Independent and he registered as a Republican; apparently the stock market was the only way to invest money, and Lady Gaga will soon surpass the Beatles in popularity.

My emails started popping up one after the other, and of course, most of them were from Charlie. Various junk mail appeared also, but I quickly deleted those knowing I didn't need Viagra or any penis enlargements anytime soon. One of Charlie's emails had specific decoding information for the wiretaps which I needed to listen in on Emmett's conversation.

I wrote Charlie back telling him I'd be planting them tomorrow since I had a business meeting to attend at his house. He responded back shortly after saying to be careful which was standard for him. One of the other emails caught my eye before I shut down the computer. It was from one of those newswires I subscribed to for special alerts to be sent to your email address. As an employee of the FBI, I had special privileges and inside sources to certain media outlets; therefore obtaining more photos and faster information than the normal person. I forgot the exact words I put down for an alert, but it pertained to Miami, drugs, illegal activity and gangs so I didn't immediately open it, but curiosity got the best of me.

The newswire article alerted me that a man and a woman had turned up dead next to a pier famous for gang hideouts which weren't all that surprising. There were probably dozens of murders every day in Miami, half of which were probably drug related. But what caught my eye was the picture in the article. The woman had long blonde hair and was quite attractive, but the close-up photo of her showed she had been beaten pretty badly. Her face was badly bruised around the eyes and lip area, but what I focused on was her right cheek. It had an oval shaped mark on it which looked like some sort of indentation from whatever had hit her. I clicked on the next page to get a closer view of the photo because it looked familiar for some reason.

The woman's name was Tanya Denali which didn't ring a bell. The man had been shot twice; once through the head and once in the heart. Obviously, it wasn't a murder-suicide so it had to be a double homicide which made me think harder about the location too. It wasn't too far from where the Franchetti brother was found. The man's name was Dwayne Garcia. He didn't look familiar either, but his photo had something interesting too; a tattoo of an octopus was on his forearm, just above his wrist.

It was then that it hit me. The man who I had the altercation with across the hall had the exact same tattoo. It didn't seem to be an ordinary tattoo a person would get like a skull or a tribal band either. Hmmm . . . looks like I would be paying Mr. Nice guy a visit in jail soon.

Tell me what you're  
>feeling cuz I need to<br>know  
>Girl you gotta let me<br>know which way to go

"He's so awesome!" I screamed back in Edward's ear. He responded by pulling me in closer and holding me a little tighter.

Edward had somehow pulled some strings and got us front row seats to tonight's concert which was unexpected but totally cool. The funny thing was we hadn't sat down in them once. We swayed against each other to the music for a couple hours. The lyrics were pretty ironic actually; my feelings were growing stronger for Edward, and I didn't know how much longer I could keep them to myself.

Suddenly, I felt something nibbling on my earlobe. Wetness trailed up my ear as a warm breath passed by my neck making my whole body come alive. It had been almost a week since we had been intimate, mostly due to my sickness, and I couldn't hold out much longer. It was apparent Edward was at that stage as well; his hardness rubbed up against the back of me, spurring me on, so I reached back to stroke him through his jeans.

"Let's get out of here," Edward whispered breathily while his fingers ghosted over my bra-covered nipples.

I wasn't about to argue. Before we left, I leaned my head back, grabbing him behind the neck. I pulled his lips toward mine, and devoured his mouth like there was no tomorrow. The lust I felt at that particular moment was unlike no other. We kissed passionately, knowing we were probably making a spectacle of ourselves, but I couldn't care less. This man made me completely crazy, inspiring me to do some very wicked things.

"I can't wait to get to my condo, it takes too long. Your car. Now." When I said wicked things, I meant it.

Edward looked at me and smirked. He knew what I wanted−what I needed. He felt it too, and one week without touching each other was driving us both nuts. We didn't waste any more time getting out of there.

In record time, we were in the dark parking garage, the electronic key beeping to find Edward's Aston Martin. I recognized it as a 2011 Aston Martin DBS 2D RWD Car Coupe, the sleekest and most expensive of all Astons, it sells for a mere $287,000, so I figured Edward either rented it or borrowed it from a friend.

I had forgotten to ask him where he got a car like this when he picked me up, but it was so smoking hot, I didn't care.

We saw the parking lights flicker and ran toward the car, both of us anxious for what was about to occur. Arriving at his car, Edward threw me gently down on the hood, his body hovering over mine within inches.

"Do you know how badly I want to fuck you on the hood of this car, Isabella? I've thought about it more than once. If I didn't think we'd get caught and thrown in jail, I'd do it in an instant." Edward's fingers trailed up the inside of my jean covered leg while he whispered in my ear.

"Do it." I spoke softly, not even sure if I spoke the words at all.

He moved right to my face and looked deep into my eyes. "Don't tease me, Isabella. I don't like to be joked with." Edward grinned, but I knew he was serious. His teeth came out and bit my bottom lip gently, pulling it out and then sucking on it while his dick grew harder by the second - right where I needed him to be.

"Who's joking? I don't see anyone here. Everyone's still in the concert, and he hasn't given his encore yet. It's dark out here too." I couldn't believe these words were coming out of my mouth, but my hormones were doing the talking, definitely not the undercover FBI agent. That alter ego was pushed way back right now. As a matter of fact, she was nowhere in sight because there would be no way in hell she'd even be thinking it, let alone suggesting it. "What, you're not . . . afraid, are you, Edward?" I teased him while leaning up on my elbows, knowing it pushed him further to the brink.

I swear Edward growled, putting one arm under my back and using the other to unbutton my jeans. His mouth came down on mine roughly, pushing his tongue forcefully into mine so hard our teeth were clanking together. Before I had time to rethink this, my pants were down at my ankles and my shirt pushed up to my neck.

My hands went to his belt buckle, unfastening them as quick as I could before I changed my mind. He stopped me for one second, shoving his hand in each of his jeans pockets. "Shit! As much as I want to do this, it appears I don't have any protection with me. Dammit!"

"It's not a problem. I'm on the pill, so if you don't mind going bareback I certainly don't. Besides, let's not ruin the moment. If I think too much about this, it'll never happen."

Obviously, Edward didn't have to think twice before he pushed my body up on the hood of the car, devouring my breasts with his hands, tongues and teeth. I had gotten his pants down, his dick springing out of them, ready and raring to go.

"This is going to be fast, Bella. Public sex is a huge turn-on for me, so I probably won't last long. Besides, the concert will be over soon, and people will be flooding in this garage. We can't afford to be slapped with a public indecency charge, so I hope you're ready for me." He didn't have to worry about that, because it wasn't three seconds later that Edward pushed into me, my legs bent and feet planted firmly on the fender.

My God, Edward felt so good inside me. We fit together so well and our bodies knew it, reacting with full pleasure every time we were joined. My hands were flat against the hood and for a short second, I felt a little guilty about desecrating whose ever car this was, knowing we might be putting some dents in it.

"This is such a fantasy for me, you have no idea. Your body looks fantastic on this car, and me being inside you at this moment is mind blowing. I won't be able to hold out much longer." Edward's words drove me right over the edge. I came so hard he had to hold his hand over my mouth to keep me from screaming. As soon as I was coming down off my high, Edward thrust into me a couple more times and he was convulsing, his chest heaving up and down in pleasure.

Laughter and voices were coming from the left of us which led me to believe the concert must've gotten over. We couldn't have had better timing. Pulling up our pants, we moved to the other side of the car, shielding ourselves better from the oncoming traffic of people filing in the parking garage.

"That was the most exciting things I've done in a long time!" I exclaimed to him, holding him in a post-coital daze with my head lying on his hard chest. We stood there hugging each other while his hands ran through my just-fucked hair.

"Me too. We'll need a repeat performance as soon as possible. The thrill of getting caught just adds to the pleasure, I think. You cease to amaze me. Are you always such a thrill-seeker, Bella?" Edward pulled my head up, his green eyes sparkling in the moonlight. He was so beautiful; it was hard to think straight.

"You know I'm a risk taker. The thrill-seeking goes right along with that. But I'll have to say, I've never done anything like that before . . . and it's wise that I probably don't do it again." I can see my ass in jail for public indecency. I'd lose my badge and my reputation I worked so hard to get. Edward really made me do the stupidest things, and I needed to get my head on straight. This led me to thinking about tomorrow night and Emmett's get together.

"Edward, thank you for taking me to see Marc Anthony tonight. It was truly one of the most awesome dates I've ever had. You really know how to show a lady a good time." I winked up at him, his grin showing me he had an awesome time too. "And I'll have to say I've never had sex on the hood of a car either, let alone a $300,000 one." We walked over to my side of the car and he held the door open for me.

"How do you know how much this car cost?" Edward asked me as he slid down into the driver's seat.

Shit. I had to think quickly. No way was I ready to let him know where I worked because I couldn't endanger him in any way.

"Uh, my dad didn't know what to get me for my birthday last year so he thought it'd be cool to get me a subscription to the Robb Report. That's my dad . . . always so thoughtful and practical." I peered out the window while Edward backed out of the parking space. "Anyway, as you may or may not know, they have a luxury car section and since I had the subscription, I felt as though I might as well read it. So, where did you get the car?"

"Oh. Um, it's my friend's. He let me borrow it for the night. It's nice, right?" Edward shifted the car in third gear as we started to zip down the road.

My mind turned to my assignment tomorrow night and about that tattoo on the dead man's arm, when I noticed a pair of headlights in the side mirror making the same turn as us. It didn't seem that big of a deal, but it appeared this same car had been following us for some time now. I didn't say anything to Edward, of course, but my instincts kicked in because I knew we were being followed. I needed to get a closer look of whoever seemed interested in us.

"If you don't mind, can you pull over at this gas station? I just need to grab some milk."

"Sure. Is everything okay? You seem a little preoccupied." Edward put his hand on top of mind which was sitting in my lap.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I didn't mean to be quiet – I was just thinking of some things I needed to get done tomorrow." Edward pulled into the gas station, and I hopped out of the car. Sure enough, the car following us stopped too, but far away in the corner.

I couldn't afford to do anything stupid in front of Edward, but I also wasn't going to let someone stalk me either. Edward didn't deserve to be hounded by some maniac who was probably looking for me, so I made a beeline straight to the ladies room.

I pulled out my small pair of binoculars I had in my purse. When Edward first asked me to the concert, I assumed we were sitting further away than the front row. Somehow, Edward had lots of connections, so I didn't need them. I also pulled out a hair tie to put my hair back – there might be a little violence coming up, so I needed nothing in the way. There was only one man in the car which made me feel better, not that I couldn't have taken on three on more than one but this needed to be quick.

The window provided a tight opening, so thank goodness my body was small enough to fit through it. The car was situated with the back of it facing me, making my approach toward the man easier. If it's one thing I learned in my training, it was how to silently advance an enemy when he least expects it. Things were going to be a little more difficult since I didn't have my gun with me; damn concerts were putting a damper on my night.

Crawling up to the back of the car, I found a pretty good size rock and threw it, aiming at the side mirror on the opposite side of the car, praying I was a good aim.

I must have been, because I heard it hit something, distracting the driver long enough for me to open his door and punch him in the nose. I had to stun him, making him disoriented in order for me to gain the upper hand. Not quite sure how big the man was, I jumped on top of him and did a cross choke, crossing my hands and grabbing the opposite ends of his shirt in a V formation.

The man started gagging profusely. "Tell me who you work for!" I exclaimed. I loosened my hold long enough for him to squeak out a couple words but I couldn't hear them.

"Say it again, asshole. I won't be as nice next time."

"J-J-James T-T-anner," the man barely spit the words out of his mouth before I choked him harder.

Unfreaking real. Seriously? James? Why is he following me around again after all these years?

"What does he want with me?" I asked, hoping the man would hurry up and talk before Edward noticed I was taking too long.

"I-I don't know. I'm just following orders. Don't kill me, please!" The man's face was turning a little purple but I didn't care. Deciding he wasn't going to tell me anything else, I choked him out, cutting off the blood supply to his carotid artery. Turning his body over, I took his wallet out of his back pocket and then grabbed the keys from the car.

I stood up, dusting off my pants to run back in the gas station. As I brushed off my knees, I looked up, only to find Edward staring at me, leaning against the back of the Aston, smoking a cigarette. _Damn, __this __ain__'__t __gonna __be __good._

**A/N: Thanks for being patient; I was on vacation in the Keys…fun times! Anyway, next chapter should be up next week. Please leave me a review if you have time. Thanks **


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry for the long wait. Recuperating from vacation. Anyway, back to the story . . . we left off with some awesome car sex if I remember right and Bella found out that James is having her followed. She beat the shit out of the guy and Edward saw it all go down. Uh-oh. So, on with the saga!**

**Chapter 19 - Frenemies**

**EPOV**

When Bella ran into the gas station, I reminisced about our hot sex on the hood of my Aston. Damn, I'd wanted to do that forever, and it was everything I'd dreamed it would be. It also couldn't have been with anyone better. Bella and I had been getting along great; no arguing, no clinginess like past fuck buddies, and no strings attached.

It had all the pieces to the start of a great relationship. A relationship. Did I really want that? When I threw caution to the wind last week and finally slept with her, I gave in to everything I said I wouldn't do with her. Sex. Hugging. Spending the night at a woman's house. All the rules were out the window. It started out as sex – damn good sex – but I had told myself I wasn't going to do that with such a nice girl as Bella. She deserved someone much better than me.

I caved. It was like she held this power over me, waving some kind of magic wand over my head which made me do her bidding. I was her puppet, and she pulled those strings ever so brilliantly with me, but the thing about it was I didn't care. I wanted my strings pulled. Hard. And she was an expert string puller too.

Despite telling myself to quit seeing her, somehow my fingers kept dialing her every day. If something happened to her because of me, I'd never forgive myself. I knew I was getting too attached, but I kept getting drawn in to her for some reason. It was like I'd found my soul mate.

On the drive back from the concert, I noticed, in the rearview mirror, someone tailing us. I took a couple of different turns than I normally would, but sure enough, the car followed at a close distance. When Bella suggested a stop at the gas station, I planned to give Jazz a call to trail the guy, but I lost sight of him. Knowing he was still around somewhere, I pulled out my phone, hitting Jazz's speed dial number. He picked up immediately. Bella hopped out of the car pretty quickly and dashed inside, so I needed to make this a quick call.

"Hey, I need a favor from you. Where are you right now?" I looked down at my watch thinking the evening was still young.

"Dude, I was just getting ready to call you. That's strange. Listen, I have something to tell you. You're not going to like this, man." Jazz sounded pretty agitated, so I let him go first. It sounded a little more important.

"Spit it the fuck out." I hate when he started off conversations like that.

"Eleazer called me and said he heard from Tanya. She managed to give him an address where she was being held." Jasper paused before he said the next statement. "There was a scuffle after she got out the information to him, then the line went dead. Eleazer fears the worst."

"Fuck! What's the address?" I asked, knowing that whoever had been keeping her was probably long gone by now.

Jasper gave me the address, and I wrote it down on a napkin I had in the car. Bella still wasn't back which made me anxious. People were dropping like flies around me, scaring the hell out of me. There was no way could I let Bella get in the middle of my battle. My life is no place for a perfect woman like her to be, but I didn't want to let her go.

"Are you the first person Eleazer called?" If this was the case, I still had time to send a team out to look for her. He couldn't have that big a jump on us.

"Second. You were the first, but I guess your phone has been off. Ed, we got a name. The guy holding Tanya is James Tanner. Does that ring a bell?"

"James Tanner . . ." My mind kept going back and forth. "Wait, Jimmy? Jimmy Tanner? No, it couldn't be him . . . fucking hell!"

"You know him, Ed? Who's Jimmy Tanner? I don't recognize the name. Are they a competitor or from a mafia family?" Jasper tried to see if he recalled who it was, but I knew he didn't know him. This was all about me.

"Forget it, Jazz. You don't know him. He's after me." Was it James targeting me all this time? Shit, man, all these people I employed and now Tanya who was close to me. This was a personal vendetta.

Where the fuck was Bella? I needed a cigarette. "Jazz, I gotta go. What'd you tell Eleazer? Does he expect us to check out the address tonight?" Pulling open the glove compartment, I took out a pack of Marlboro Lights along with my lighter. I opened up my door because I don't smoke in my car, plus I didn't want Bella to know I was smoking either.

"Yeah, he's on his way there right now. He's called a couple of his contacts to bring some muscle and an arson of weapons with them. I don't think they should go without us – especially now that you know this guy personally. How soon can you get there?"

"You have to give me a half hour . . . What the hell?" I turned around after lighting my cigarette to see a woman sitting on top of someone on the north side parking lot choking them. The man's legs were kicking, trying to get the woman off him, but after a few seconds, they stopped. Guessing the woman had the upper hand and the situation under control, I didn't feel the need to intervene.

I leaned on the back of the car, letting out a puff of smoke.

"Eddie, you there? Hellloooo . . ."

"Yeah, man I'm here. Sorry about that. I just saw a woman kicking the shit out of a man here at the gas station. Unbelievable. I'll catch you later. I need to drop my date off, then I'll call you when I'm on my way." I hung up, putting my phone in my back pocket, taking another drag of the cigarette. I looked over at the scuffle again to see the man not moving at all. She must have choked him out. Chuckling to myself, I thought he must've gotten what he deserved.

Someone came out of the gas station, but it wasn't Bella. I needed to check and see what happened to her. Maybe she had to use the restroom, and the line was extremely long like they always are.

So Jimmy Tanner had been behind this all along. I couldn't believe it. If anyone should be pissed and out for revenge, it'd be me. Hell, it was his fucking father who killed my mother for Christ's sake. Asshole. I couldn't wait to get my hands around his scrawny neck. He sure was going to a lot of trouble to get back at me.

I noticed the girl getting up now, rolling the guy over and stealing his wallet. She had been facing the other way, so I couldn't see much but her dark haired ponytail. She turned around to get in the car, taking the keys I would presume. Pretty smart girl. When she rose up and got out of the car, my mouth dropped to the ground.

It was Bella! What the fuck? I couldn't do anything but stare at her. She just looked at me like a deer caught in the headlights. What the hell had she just done? How'd she get past me to the car over there? Who was the guy she just knocked unconscious?

I was pissed. Bella is definitely hiding something from me. What the fuck was it? I thought I knew her pretty well, but after tonight, I didn't think I knew her at all. After I thought about it for a second, who was I to be all judgmental? That would make me the biggest hypocrite in the universe.

Bella strode back over toward my car, her head down while she took the hair tie out of her hair. The look on her face was wracked with guilt knowing I had seen the whole encounter. When she was in reach of me, she spoke really fast.

"Look, before you say anything, I can explain. That man had been tailing us for the last three miles, so I had to go over there and see who the fuck it was, okay?" I didn't hear any breaths taken in her statement so I had to hold back a grin. So she noticed we were being followed too? How does she know what it's like to be tailed? Now that I took a closer look, that car was definitely the same one that had been behind us for awhile.

I didn't say anything because I was still in shock of how she took care of the guy all by herself. She's been doing quite a bit of that lately; things were adding up in my head, and I really didn't like where my thoughts were going. In my heart, I knew right then and there this relationship had to end. She had to be a cop. What else could she be? We really hadn't discussed our careers in any real depth. Boy, wouldn't that be ironic? I knew she had no idea about me because if she did, she would've dropped me as soon as she suspected anything or turned my ass in a long time ago.

Shit, I just remembered Jazz was waiting for me. This needed to take precedence though, so I grabbed the phone, dialing him while motioning to her I'd be one minute. Jazz understood when I told him about Bella, saying he'd take care of the situation and would let me know if he found out anything interesting.

I needed to confide a little bit about my past to her; enough to unload my guilt and maybe get her to open up too. After that, we'd have to end this – whatever this was, at least for the time being.

Nodding for her to get in the car, I snuffed out my cigarette, walked around to open her door and blew out the smoke. "Let's go to my house. We need to talk."

Needless to say, the ride back to my house was pretty silent. I noticed a couple scratch marks on her arm, guessing the man had fought back against her. "Are you okay? I see he made some pretty impressive marks on your arms. We'll get them cleaned up at the house." Taking a mint from my front console, I popped one in my mouth. It really didn't matter that I smelled like smoke because she had already caught me in the act. "Did you find out who he is, at least?"

She took a moment before she spoke, peering out the window before she turned to look at me. A tear was rolling down her face which made me actually feel something strange inside. My body had this funny sensation, like it was on fire inside, but the hairs on my arms were standing straight up like ice cold air hitting me. Compassion rolled off of me in waves, and all I wanted to do was get her out of the car, into my house and do nothing but hold her all night.

She took the wallet out of her pocket to read his license. "It says his name is Harold Reed. He's working for someone else though." Bella started looking through the wallet while I pulled into the driveway. I had never brought her to my house before; there were a lot of reasons for that, the main one being I was afraid she'd be too comfortable there and never want to leave. Hell, who was I kidding? I'm the one who was afraid. Tanya and Victoria never meant anything to me; not the way I feel for Bella at this moment.

Victoria was just a fuck I could get whenever I wanted it. She had bought the house a few down from mine not long ago and practically threw herself into my life. Not that I complained; she never asked for anything, so I kept her around for a good screw.

But Bella was a different story. I could get used to her at my house, but now I knew that would never happen. James fucking Tanner. He was the reason why. Maybe if I could nail the bastard soon, get him behind bars we could start a real relationship. However, there was one more obstacle in the way. My side job – or should I say my real job. I made good money owning C&M - very good money, but I had been too stubborn or selfish to give up the lifestyle to which I'm accustomed. The one which entails a sense of danger, an air of living on the edge, one I would definitely need to end soon if I ever wanted a life with Bella.

"Here we are."

"Wow, it's beautiful. And right on the beach too. Nice." A couple more tears had fallen down her face, but this time I took the back of my hand and wiped them away. She turned to look at me, sorrow written all over her like she knew what was on my mind. "You've never brought me here before." She said this very matter of factly, not as a question which didn't surprise me.

"I know. There are many reasons why, but the only reason you need to know is because I've wanted to protect you from my life. As I told you when we first met, I'm not good for you. However, you make it very hard for me to stay away. Let's go inside." I walked over to her side of the car, opening her car door for her and hitting the lock button afterwards.

We walked up the stairs, and I punched in the code to disarm the security system. While I opened the door, she tensed up for some reason, looking like she was having some internal struggle with something. I motioned for her to go in the house, flipping on the light switch as we crossed the threshold.

"Edward, I shouldn't stay. There's something I need to take care of – it's about the person following . . ."

"Stop, Bella. Let's not think about that right now. I want to show you my house." Grabbing her by the arm, we walked room to room, appreciating the fact we were ignoring the situation at hand while I gave her the grand tour. She loved the house which I knew she would. It was the last stop on the tour that had us both on edge a little bit.

The wrap around balcony porch had an old country feel to it even though it was on the beach because I had a porch swing installed in the back. It reminded me of my mom which is why I had it installed when I bought the house a few years back.

"We had one of these at my house where I grew up. I used to sit on it in the summertime." Bella spoke up when I motioned for her to sit down.

"This reminds me of my mom. She loved the porch swing we had, so I installed it in memory of her." I took Bella's hand in mine, interlocking our fingers and leaned back.

We sat there and swung back and forth for awhile, the ocean breeze blowing Bella's hair around until I gathered it in a ponytail and hung on to it around her shoulder. "I wish we could sit here forever, no worries about anything at all. It'd be great to live in a world where no one needed things from us or expectations were high."

Bella put her head on my shoulder. "Me too. No demands put on us or people telling us what to do and when to do it. I wish I could protect everyone from harm all the time and kick anyone's ass that got in the way."

I laughed. "Somehow, I can definitely see you always kicking ass. You don't need anyone's help. Speaking of which, we need to talk about a few things." I swallowed slowly before I asked this question, because I really didn't want to know the answer. "You and I – we're . . . two different people. I really care about you. A lot. Maybe too much, which is why I need to ask you this. Bella, are you a cop?"

Bella leaned up and just kissed the hell out of me. We both knew where the conversation was taking us, and this could probably be the last time we would be together. We started making out like teenagers, my hands roaming everywhere and hers pulling my hair rather fiercely. It was like we couldn't keep our hands off each other, tugging and pulling off our shirts, throwing them down on the deck to lessen the barriers around us. Suddenly, I decided I'd had enough of being on a wooden swing, so I put my arm under her knees and one behind her back, carrying her inside to my bedroom upstairs. If we were going to do this, it was going to be done right.

When we got to my room, I set her down at the foot of the bed. We slowly undressed the rest of the way, relishing in the fact we would be actually making love for the first time instead of just furiously going at it like we have been.

My hands traced every inch of her body and my lips weren't far behind. We explored each other for hours, our pace was slow and sensuous. Bella was the best lover I'd ever had. She was giving and knew exactly what I liked, letting me take my time in providing her the utmost pleasure. This wasn't fucking; we made love, and I know she felt the emotions running through us just as much as I did.

I couldn't let anything happen to this woman. I would kill myself if it did, so it was either leave her or have her die by psychotic James Tanner, and I'd be damned if I'd let that occur. I'd need to get rid of him as soon as possible so I could get her back.

I could never let Bella know I was a drug dealer and a killer. I had only killed people in the direst circumstances; those who cheated me out of my business; thieves that wanted a cut and got greedy, and the ones who tried to kill me first. Jasper usually handled that part of the business, but I had done my fair share. Tomorrow I was going to make a fresh start and let Emmett know I wanted out of this hellish business. I wanted to be a good man for Bella; she made me want to be a better person despite everything I'd done in my life.

"Edward, I'm so close. I never want this feeling to go away. It's crazy, but . . ." Bella let out one of the wildest sounds I'd heard yet, panting between her words. It made me feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be able to give her pleasure like that, knowing with each thrust inside her, I was close behind.

"I know, Baby. I feel it too. We feel so good together; our bodies are so in sync with each other that we fit perfectly." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, my orgasm hit me like a ton of bricks. I shuttered and spilled inside her, the feeling unlike any other I've ever had. It was heaven to know Bella trusted me not to wear a condom; I hated those things but they were a necessary evil, especially with most of the women I slept with.

We laid there in bed for awhile, my head against her belly while my fingers traced circles around her belly button. Her stomach growled which made us both laugh. My phone rang with Jazz's ringtone, making Bella jump a little.

"You need to eat something. Why don't you go downstairs to the kitchen, and I'll meet you down there. I'll take this call real quick, okay?" Jazz had to have heard something by now in regards to Tanya, so I quickly threw on my jeans walking over to the balcony door to take the call.

Bella looked over at me with a regretful expression on her face. She approached me while I had Jazz on the phone, so I covered the mouthpiece. Her hand cupped my jaw while her lips gave mine the softest most passionate kiss yet. I looked at her curiously, but she turned quickly back toward the bedroom.

"You there, Ed? It's bad, man. No sign of Tanya or anyone in that residential address she gave us. However, the stench in the house along with the amount of blood in there gives an indication of a bad struggle. We're not sure if anyone could have survived or not." For some reason, none of what Jazz said shocked me. Leaning over the balcony railing, I glared out into the dark sky. How did my life become so fucked up?

"Any signs of Jimmy? Did he leave anything so we could trace his whereabouts?" I really did care, but right now, my thoughts were not with Tanya. They were downstairs with Bella.

"We're working on it. Too bad we don't know any good cops – there are tire marks, fingerprints, and all that. We just don't know how to process any of it. Anyway, it looked like he had more than one person hostage. There were drag marks in the dirt as well as two different footprints along with handcuffs in one room and railroad ties in another. Someone had scratched off tally marks in one room, so my guess is they were there for at least 47 days. There was no food in the fridge and barely a box of crackers lying around." Jazz blew out a breath of frustration. "When Tanya gave him up, he probably grabbed them and got the hell out of there since we were so close to the area."

My hands covered my eyes as I rubbed them over and over. Maybe I should ask Bella if she knew a cop. My mind still wasn't made up about her, but she didn't give me an indication one way or the other when I asked her about it earlier. The silence should have been a big red flag; however she did distract me pretty well, making me forget I even asked her.

That'd be a great idea_:__ "__Um,__Bella,__would__you__mind__coming__to__this__address__to__see__if__you__could__help__analyze__this__crime__scene?__My__fuck__buddy__has__been__missing__and__is__possibly__dead,__while__the__perpetrator__is__probably__my__old__druggie__friend__who__got__me__in__this__business.__"_ Yeah, that'd go over real well.

Running my hands through my hair, I sighed loudly. "She's dead, I'm sure. Dammit! If there were drag prints through the dirt, did you see trails of blood too?"

"Yeah. Eleazer is freaking out, man. If he knew this was something personal against you, he'd be coming after your ass. He's beside himself. He thinks it has to do with him running drugs or someone got some bad shit. Rumors are flying that her baby is yours, too. I thought you should know." I figured that would be the case. Tanya had always wanted kids and just when she got her wish, her life was taken away. Thanks to me.

"Jazz, were there any other signs of anything of value? Did Jimmy drop anything; leave matchbook covers around, cups from nightclubs, things like that?"

"No, man. He's pretty good at covering his trail. Son of a bitch is a smooth fucker," Jazz coughed once, sounding like he was catching a cold. "Only thing we found were tons of cigarette butts outside the house in the dirt. The asshole sure smoked a lot."

I had an idea. "Hey, call Eleazer and tell his men to go back. Tell them to pick up the cigarette butts with gloved hands and maybe we could get someone to test the DNA for them. I have no idea who we can get to do that, but keep them in a plastic bag and we'll give it a shot. I'll see if I can bribe someone on the inside to do it. Maybe someone else was smoking besides him."

"Sure thing, Eddie. Sorry about Tanya, man." Jazz hung up, but not before I told him I really appreciated everything he had done tonight.

If Tanya were actually dead, which I thought she was, could I man up and tell Eleazer this was my entire fault? I mean, I didn't do anything to James to start this whole killing spree. Hell, I hadn't seen the guy since we were in high school either. My conscience had been giving me hell all night; it was time to see Bella off and get a grip on my life. I had to tell her I'd need some time away from her. Not that I wanted to; it'd been great these past few weeks, but I had to get rid of James and start turning my life around.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I jogged down the hallway to the kitchen, anxious to see Bella so I could explain what I needed to tell her. Instead of seeing her, I found a note.

Edward,

The time we've spent together this past month  
>has been magical. I've never quite had these feelings before<br>and am not sure what to do with them. You have a lot of questions  
>I'm sure, and I can't give you the answers. Not yet, at least.<br>There are some things I must do and take care of before  
>we can continue this relationship. Please understand. Also<br>don't try to contact me. I need to sort things out.

Bella

The note was written neatly on the back of an envelope she must've found on my desk. I just stood there, reading it over and over until I decided to finally sit down and get a grip. Hell, I was about to dump her but she did it first. It really didn't surprise me; she was very preoccupied all night, her mind seemed to be elsewhere except when we made love. Bella and I made love tonight. Wow, that was really hard to say, especially since she just left me here alone with nothing but a handwritten note on an envelope.

Did I love her? I'd never let myself love anyone after my mother died many years ago. It hurt too much, letting someone into my life – a life destined to be nothing but constantly looking over your shoulder because you were afraid someone might be putting a gun to your head.

No, I couldn't do that to her. She deserved much better than a life of dealers coming and going at all hours of the night, phone calls waking her up and her friends and family constantly being in harm's way. Picking up my cell phone, I dialed up Emmett to let him know of an emergency meeting and conference in Jasper as well. It's time I did something not only productive with my life, but worthy of something my mother would be proud of.

**BPOV**

Leaving that note was the hardest thing I'd had to do in a long time. My feelings toward Edward were so strong, I feared he'd be caught up in my web of lies and he'd end up hating me forever. Tonight had been the most perfect night of my life so far. Edward was everything I'd ever dreamed of in a man and to say I was smitten would be an understatement.

He was so tender and affectionate it made me have this warm tingly feeling inside that I knew was something I'd never encountered before. I was beginning to fall in love; for the first time in my life, I started to care about something other than my career. Then, James had to come along and fuck it all up.

What did James want with me? Why was he suddenly following me after all these years and how did he find out where I was living? At least now I could take much better care of myself, knowing that my FBI training and skills would come in handy should I meet up with him in a dark alley or something even worse.

I had caught a cab when leaving Edward's house and entered my condo practically in the middle of the night. Sleep would be hard to come by tonight, but I had to get a little of it in, knowing I had a big day tomorrow. Throwing my purse on the kitchen counter, I trudged up the stairs, a little sore from the night's activities. I never regretted one minute I had spent with Edward, he made my body feel so alive, and we connected so well on every level.

My new goal was to gain some intel on James so I knew what the hell he was planning with me. Having someone spy on him would be part of tomorrow's mission as well; I finally wanted something out of life, someone to share my existence with all its flaws and craziness, and I'd be damned if I would let some two bit scumbag ruin it.

James wouldn't be easy to find though in a big city like this unless I had something to go by. The reason I stole the man's wallet that followed us was to run a background check on him and to pay him another visit. After I was done interrogating him, he'd have to give me something to go on. James would regret hunting me down, and if he threw a wrench into my plans at C&M, I'd take him down so fast his head would spin.

I laid my head down on my pillow, my body softly sinking into the cushy mattress. When I closed my eyes, all I could think about was Edward's reaction to my letter. Would he be happy I dumped him so he didn't have to do it? When he asked me if I was a cop, I had to distract him somehow. There was no way I could divulge my identity; it wasn't allowed – especially in a situation such as this. I wanted to tell him so bad, but something inside me told me to hold back.

My stomach started to hurt; stress began to take over my body along with these guilty feelings of ditching someone I really cared about. Yeah, I needed to get my shit together soon so I could find a way for Edward and me to be together.

**A/N: Thanks to all who are reading the story. It's much appreciated. A little angst at the end but it's important to the plot. They both care deeply about the other but need to break it off in order to protect each other from harm. Hmm, sounds familiar. Let me know what you all think.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 21 – Misconceptions**

BPOV

"Now, if you stand here next to the Fisker Karma, you'll want to lean in to its left, right towards the middle of the hood. This car is phenomenal, you know. It just came out of production in Finland, and had its first U.S. delivery this year. It's a plug in hybrid luxury sports sedan. It gets fifty-two mpg in the all-electric mode and 20 mpg for gas only. Isn't she a beauty? Oh, by the way, are you going to wear something black and sexy?" Emmett stopped pointing on the sketch laying on the small round table between our seats to turn and look at me.

"Why is everyone obsessed with me in something sexy and black?" I asked, tired of hearing the same damn question for the third time.

"Honey, sex sells cars, and black is a sign of power. Power is seductive. We want to combine the two so no client out there will leave without buying our cars. The car industry consists of a predominantly male clientele; with you hosting our showcase, wearing a hot, sexy number standing next to a half million dollar sports car, our inventory will be depleting as fast as you can say 'Go fuck yourself.'" Emmett wasn't one to mince words.

"Well, okay then. I guess that's settled. Alice also told me that Mr. Masen insisted I wear a pair of stilettos as well. My only hope is that I don't get up there and bust my ass," I responded, taking a sip of my coffee and trying not to burn my tongue off.

The flight attendant approached us in a huff. "Mr. Cullen, we really can't wait much longer on your other guest. We've got a flight schedule to maintain. Any idea when she's expected to arrive?"

Emmett checked his watch, and then pulled out his cell phone. "I'll text her right now. She said she was five minutes away, but that was fifteen minutes ago. She must've gotten stuck in traffic or caught at security. I'll let you know as soon as I get a hold of her."

While Emmett tried to reach Alice, I began to neatly compile my note cards. In the top left corner my name was written on half of them, but the other half had Mr. Masen's name. I took it upon myself to memorize his lines too, just in case he was a no show. There was no way in hell I was going to look like a damn idiot just because his stupid ass didn't show up. I had just gotten done organizing them when Emmett started to speak.

"I neeth thu thell yuh but Edthwarth," Emmett lisped something unintelligible because a pencil was lodged sideways in his mouth while he was typing away on his iPad.

"In English, please," I replied, chuckling while pulling it out and throwing it down on his lap.

Emmett quit typing for a second. "Sorry. I said I needed to tell you about Edward."

"What about him?" I asked. Just then my phone sang out which was strange because I thought I had shut it off. "Uh, hold that thought, Emmett. Someone's calling me. I'll be right back." The lyrics to the song "Sexy and I Know It" played on my phone which embarrassed me in front of Emmett. I had played around with my phone the night after our first date while in the bathtub and had given Edward this ringtone. Now, I was regretting it.

I couldn't believe he was calling me after two weeks of not hearing from him. My mind wandered as the stupid song kept playing, "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah . . .I'm sexy and I know it . . ." so I hurried and hit the button on the phone.

"Hello?" _Fuck, I said hello?_ Like I didn't know who was calling me. He must think I'm the world's biggest loser. I definitely am nervous as hell though. I missed him. A lot. Yes, it was me who forced the distance between us and broke it off, but it definitely wasn't because I didn't want to be with him. My body let me know that every night. It missed his touch, his whispers, his love bites, his big . . .

"Bella, is that you? Are you there?" Edward asked over the phone, and I finally got the nerve to speak up.

"Yes, I'm here. Is everything okay?" Just hearing his voice made my body heat up, reminding myself how much I needed him back.

Edward blew out a long sigh on the other end of the phone. "I just wanted to hear your voice. I know you don't want to hear from me, but it's just been a rough couple of days, and I really just wanted to hear your voice. I hope it's not a problem that I called."

"Of course not. I only have a few minutes though because my flight's getting ready to take off. How've you been?" Why was my voice all shaky? Suddenly, I felt like a young schoolgirl again, having her first crush. This man made me crazy.

"I'm doing all right. I'll be going out of town tomorrow too, if you remember. The past two weeks have been busy, and you've just been on my mind lately. I don't want to overstep my bounds at all, but there's something I want to tell you." A moment of silence passed between us making me very apprehensive.

"Bella, I think about you every day. Hell, I think about you every night, too. I'm going crazy here because I've just never had these feelings for anyone before. I miss the hell out of you. You wrote in your letter that you wanted some distance, and I've respected your wishes. It's just so hard not to pick up a phone to call you or let you know how I feel. Am I making a fool out of myself by telling you all of this?" Edward let out a small laugh, but I could tell he was nervous.

"No, not at all. It's just that – ″

"Please, let me finish. I know you said you needed time and space which I totally get. I really do because I've been that way most of my life. However, these past couple of weeks I've realized something." Edward didn't speak for about twenty seconds, making me think he had hung up, or we got disconnected. "Bella, I think I've fallen in love with you."

Okay. One could insert a long pause here because you could hear a pin drop it was so deafeningly quiet. My heart leapt in my chest and started beating so fast, I had to sit down. He loved me?

Edward sighed. "Damn, that's really not how I wanted that to come out. I'm a mess. Bella, my life is crazy, I've told you that, but I'm really trying to fix it. There are so many things I need to tell you about me which you really need to hear. I'd like to explain -″

Emmett's voice came booming at me toward the back of the plane. "Yo Marie, the pixie is here. The crew told us to settle in and buckle up!"

I threw my hand over the phone receiver. "Edward, I'm so sorry. I have to go. I definitely want to discuss this further with you. Can we talk when I get back?" Damn Emmett. Of all times for a man to tell me he's in love with me, and I can't even tell him how I feel.

"Who was that?" Edward inquisitively asked in a harsh tone.

"Uh, just my boss yelling at one of my co-workers. We'll talk later?" Oh my gosh.

"Sure. You're back when?"

"In a few days. I'll call you when I get back because I'm in meetings all day and –"

"The plane needs to take off, Marie! Get your ass over here!" I swear I'm going to kill Emmett.

"I really gotta go. We're all getting screamed at. Talk to you soon, k?"

"Okay. Bye, Bella."

"Oh, and Edward?

"Yes?"

"I think I'm falling in love with you too."

"Really?

"Yeah." The word came out as a soft whisper. I can't believe I said it. After all of my life not saying those words to anyone, I finally said it.

I hung up the phone and walked to the front of the plane. I knew I had the biggest grin on my face while I went to sit down in my previous seat.

"Whoa. Someone is hiding something! You looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. Fess up, girl!" Alice actually squealed with delight, acting like she knew exactly why I was smiling.

"It's nothing, really."

"Bullshit. Talk. Now." Alice could be so damn pushy when she wanted to be.

I moved in a little closer to her so no one could hear me. I spoke in a hushed tone and let her know what I just told Edward.

"Oh my gosh. That is totally awesome! I'm so jealous. It's about time you admitted it. You've been gushing over him ever since you two went out the first time. When do I finally get to meet this mystery man?"

"Well, probably right after we get back from this trip. Alice, I'm so happy right now. He makes me feel so giddy inside, like a teenager almost. He's so compassionate and caring. The sex is incredible; we just fit together so perfectly. He's sexy as hell and seems well established in his career. I've missed him so much this past week. It was all my fault though that we haven't seen each other. I need to take care of some things still and apparently, so does he, but I think we're going to try and work through it."

"Wow. You're in love. It's written all over your face. I'm so happy for you!" Alice took her hand and put it on top of mine, squeezing it to show her acceptance.

"Who's in love?" Emmett asked, turning around in his chair to look at us.

"Um, Alice was just making an observation." I said, trying to change the subject.

"Ha! Who are you kidding? Anyone can see it, Marie. There's no need to hide it. Love is a great thing to experience, right Emmett?" Alice always was so expressive, and she wasn't about to stop now.

Emmett seemed a little uncomfortable for some reason, as if we didn't know about him and Rosalie or something. "Of course it's great. I just don't want anything else taking center stage when I need Marie's total focus this week. Don't get me wrong; its great being in love, I just need your attention to be on us and not daydreaming about getting into your boyfriend's pants or anything. You can do that all you want when you return."

The flight attendant's voice came through the speaker. "We're pulling out of the runway now. Would everyone please fasten their seatbelts?"

We did as we were instructed. I pulled Emmett's sketches toward me, reviewing them so I'd be prepared for the presentation. My thoughts ran to Charlie momentarily, wondering if he heard anything worthwhile last night in Emmett's house. The wiretaps would've picked up every conversation Emmett had in his house or his phone so I was curious to what he found out. I'd be touching base with him once I arrived in the hotel because we weren't meeting our clients until dinnertime. Mr. Masen had to be one of the people Emmett had talked with recently, so I hoped Charlie gathered some good information that could nail these guys.

The flight attendant handed us a menu which I was thankful for because I was suddenly starving. Flying on a corporate jet definitely had its advantages, and I was more than glad to partake in them. The choices were even enticing, especially for a lunch menu; steak and baked potato with asparagus or blackened chicken with rice pilaf and green beans. While trying to decide what I was hungry for, I heard Emmett order two of everything. I swear that man could eat more than anyone I'd ever seen.

I decided upon the steak while Alice chose the chicken. Emmett spoke up after the flight attendant left. "So, earlier I had told you I wanted to talk about Edward. Mr. Masen, I mean."

He definitely had my full attention because Emmett never discussed Mr. Masen to me at all. I couldn't wait to hear what an arrogant prick he was; especially since he was so damn busy he couldn't even make it here on time to practice his speech for his own company.

"I'm going to refer to him as Edward, if that's okay with you. We've been friends forever, and it's easier to talk about him using his first name. Anyway, I know you don't know a lot about him, and he's basically AWOL from the company as far as you're concerned, but that doesn't mean he's not working behind the scenes." For some reason, Emmett finally decided it was time for me to know about his partner in crime.

"I'm listening." I responded, looking thoroughly interested because I had waited for this discussion for quite some time. The scumbag would get his punishment soon enough, so I ought to get some good background info on him.

"Edward and I met in middle school, and I lived around the corner from him. We're practically brothers because he was an only child and so was I. I'm sure you've formed your own opinion about him, especially since he's never around and isn't showing his face around to review this presentation. It's just that he's been a little preoccupied with something personal, and he's determined to see it through till the end." Emmett looked a little distraught, so I decided to pry.

"Is this something we should be concerned with at C&M?" I asked, trying to get some answers out of him.

"Oh, no. Edward's just trying to track down an old personal friend of his. He really is a good guy, Marie. He's a genius when it comes to business. We had a dream in high school to open up one of the best sports car shops in Florida, and we surpassed that goal years ago. We now have the best one in the nation. He's very savvy with money and people. Everywhere we go, every client we have has never complained about him once." Emmett stopped talking for a minute to take a drink of his soda.

"He keeps our customers very happy; making sure every one of them has exactly what they need. Our clients want for nothing because of his follow-up and expertise. Honestly, I think this stems from his childhood. His mother was a drug addict and he was left to take care of not only her, but the household as well. He went to school, then straight to his job just so he could pay the bills for them. She was totally incapable of doing anything to sustain their well-being."

Wow. I wasn't expecting this conversation to take a turn like this. He had me totally compelled and on the edge of my seat. "Go on. I'm pretty intrigued."

"Somehow, Edward kept it all together. He made straight A's, maintained a forty hour work week, and took care of his mother. Although he was accepted into most of the colleges he applied to, he turned them all down to watch over her. Little did he know it would all come to a halt. On the night of our high school graduation, we were sitting on his porch when we heard a loud bang. We ran as fast as we could, but it was too late. Blood was on the driveway, and his mom had just disappeared. She was dating a lowlife scumbag who was supplying her with the drugs. Edward hated him and his son with a passion but she kept him around, probably because he supplied her the stuff for free."

Our food arrived, and we stopped talking for a few short minutes to take a few bites. I spoke up first. "So, let me get this straight. You're telling me that Mr. Masen is a do-gooder whose mother died practically in front of him, and he kept the family together, paying the bills and doing the laundry, etc.? The same man who can't even come into the office and check on things, or meet me for a practice run?"

Emmett stabbed a piece of steak on his fork and stuffed it in his mouth. "Yeph, prethy mush."

"Please chew first, Emmett," I pleaded, not wanting to see the chewed up meat in his mouth. Sometimes he had no shame at all.

"Sorry, about that. I'm not saying Edward is a saint. Basically, I'm telling you all of this because I'm afraid you might have the wrong impression about him – especially since he hasn't been in to run over the car show with you. It's just that his ex was killed recently, and he's now head over heels in love with someone I've never even met yet. She must be pretty special though, because he's willing to give everything up for her."

Now, that had my attention. This Mr. Masen was a softie? Who knew? "What do you mean give everything up for her? He's leaving the company? He's not going to make it to this convention is he? That's just great – he's throwing me to the wolves and . . ."

"Wait just a minute. He's not leaving the company." Emmett took a long drink and had a funny look on his face.

"Well, what do you mean he's willing to give everything up for her, then? What else is there?" I asked, trying to drill him for answers because I pretty much knew what he was talking about, but he didn't know I knew what he meant.

"Uh, just all the long hours he puts in with C&M travelling, that's all. He's really a workaholic and honestly, he's never settled down with anyone before."

"I thought you just said his ex was killed."

"Yeah, it was an ex-lover, you could say. It really wasn't his girlfriend because, trust me, Edward doesn't do girlfriends. This girl must be really special."

I bet the girl was really special all right. What an idiot she must be for falling for a drug lord.

I pondered all of this information for awhile. Could Edward be thinking about dropping out of this horrid drug business and possibly going straight? Damn, she must be one hell of a woman for him to just drop out of sight and forego his top spot as head kingpin.

Hearing the background on Edward Masen almost made me feel sorry for him. Almost. Thoughts ran through my head about his motives for even getting into drugs. Given if all of these things were true, one would think he would stay the hell away from drugs since it messed his mom up. However, if you're a teenager trying to make ends meet, pay the bills, go to school and take care of a parent, it could be an easy way to make a buck – or thousands.

I shook my head to get those sympathetic thoughts out of my mind. That's totally not realistic. Doesn't he know he probably got thousands of people, probably most of whom are young adults, hooked on this stuff?

No, now we're going to need prior incriminating evidence to bring him in before he relieves himself of his post. We might need to move quicker than we thought in light of this new development.

I scarfed up that meal so fast that my stomach started gurgling a little. It was either that, or my sympathy for Mr. Masen. Nah. It must be indigestion.

"So who killed her?" I might as well ask while we were on the subject.

Emmett stopped stuffing his face suddenly. "What?"

"You said someone killed the ex-girlfriend. Lover. Whatever."

Emmett put his utensils down and wiped his face with a napkin. "I didn't say anyone killed her. I said she was killed. Big difference."

"Oh, okay. So how did she die then?" My curiosity was getting the best of me, and I couldn't stand not knowing for some reason.

"Um, it was a car accident. Hey, are you going to eat that?" Emmett pointed with his fork toward the last bite of my steak which I was going to eat, but decided I might as well let him have it.

"No, go ahead. He certainly doesn't waste much time between women. I certainly hope his focus will be here this week." There was so much more I wanted to know, but I knew I couldn't pry too much.

"It will, don't worry."

EPOV

My sleep became restless so all I did was toss and turn most of the night. The sun began to rise which made an eerie glow about my bedroom, casting rays of light here and there. I looked down at a particular spot it hit and saw it shining upon some strange looking object that must have fallen between the mattress and the side board.

Raising my head from the pillow to get a closer look, I glanced down at a used condom that had fallen there. Oh my God. I started to wonder how long that thing had been there. Bella and I had used condoms at her place but when I found out she was on the pill, I honestly didn't feel the need to use them for the first time in my life. It was pure bliss to feel her without the rubber barrier too. So, where had this thing come from?

Tanya and I always used protection but I rarely brought her to my room. Same with Victoria.

Holy. Hell. It dawned on me that there was only one other person I must have had sex with and couldn't remember one minute of it. The girl I woke up with the morning after Jazz and I had that run in with the guys from the dock. The blonde chick who I had no recollection of fucking must have ditched it there. What a gross thing to do. How have I not noticed that before now?

Rolling out of bed, I walked in the bathroom to grab some tissues to pick it up with and throw it away. As I was bending down to get it, a thought ran through my head. That's where I saw that octopus tattoo before! The chick had it tattooed on her right hip and I'd be damned if it didn't look exactly like the guy's tattoo Bella had taken down in the hallway last month. It had to be gang related. Or maybe Mafia related.

I didn't even bother showering before I had thrown on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt over my head. This was going to be my second trip down to the same jail in a few months time which absolutely never happened but I needed to find out what that scumbag knew. He had to still be there unless someone bailed him out by now but I was hoping that wasn't the case. I needed to know what that damn tattoo meant and who was stalking me because I knew that shit wasn't just a coincidence.

The only problem was I didn't know the man's name and the easiest way to get it would be to go to the best source to get it. Running down my porch steps, I threw open the door of my Ferrari and peeled out of my driveway. All the way over there, I prayed Bella wouldn't be home. It was midday on Tuesday so I hoped she would be working. I arrived at her condo building in record time and walked into the lobby area to find the mailboxes. Knowing Bella lived in apartment 3310, I knew the even numbers were on the left side of the hallway. The man came out of the right side two doors down so that would make it 3307.

I knew it would be hard to get up on the elevator without a key so I waited around for an unsuspecting person to let me up without thinking I was up to no good. It took about fifteen minutes for an old woman carrying two bags of groceries for me to make my move.

"Oh, here can I help you with that? I was just going up myself." I knew she didn't see me hanging around the lobby because she could barely see over the bags.

"Why thank you dear! That's so nice of you. Most people nowadays don't care to help out an elderly person like myself." She handed over one of her bags to me.

"Why don't you give them both to me? They look quite heavy."

"Are you sure?" She asked as she started handing them over as I nodded.

"No problem. But since my hands are full, would you mind keying in floor 33 for me?"

She keyed it in for me, and I was good to go. As she got off on the twentieth floor, I handed over the bags like a nice gentlemen.

Starting down the hallway, I realized how much I missed coming over here to see Bella. The smell of her hair, the smile on her face and the touch of her body next to mine made me hard in an instant. Shit, I needed to get these thoughts out of my head, so I adjusted myself for a minute before I knocked on the door of 3307.

Silently, I prayed someone would be here. I couldn't remember the ladies name that lived here, but I'm sure she'd remember me after that one night.

After two lengthy knocks, I heard someone shuffling toward the door. She opened it but still had the chain lock on it.

"Yes, can I help you?" She asked me as she peeked between the crack of the door.

"Hi, I'm Edward, Bella's boyfriend from a couple doors down. Do you remember me?"

Her eyes scanned me up and down for thirty seconds before she replied. "Oh, yes. Please forgive me. I'm just a little rattled since Frank's episode in the hallway." She closed the door to unchain it and then re-opened it. "I don't even know if I thanked you for intervening on my behalf. You were a big help to your girlfriend that night in restraining him. I really do appreciate it."

All right, first name is Frank. "It's no problem. I don't mean to bother you but I was thinking of buying Bella a puppy for her birthday and I didn't know if you were allowed dogs in the condo or not." Hell, it was the only lie I could think to ask and one that wouldn't make her suspicious of me.

"Oh, how sweet! Yes, we're allowed one animal."

"Great, thanks. Are you doing okay? Your boyfriend, uh Frank . . ."

"Frank Reynolds. And he's not my boyfriend anymore. However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still afraid of him. He's just the kind of guy your mother warns you about but I just couldn't help falling for a tough guy." She looked down, embarrassed about her situation.

"I'm sorry for that. Is he still in jail or has he made bail yet?" This bit of information might save me a trip.

"He's still there for the moment. Every chance he gets he makes a phone call asking about bail but I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm really scared of him and I don't know what to do about."

I thought about this for a moment, realizing I was in a position to help this woman. It's not very often I can do something to help another person and living the life I've lived, I owed it to society to give back.

"You know what? I own a pretty large company and we have some security folks that work for us. If you're all right with it, I could lend you one of my guys."

The look on her face brightened a little. "I couldn't ask you to do that. Besides, I really don't have anything to repay you with."

"No repayment necessary. You've been kind enough to give me the information I needed, so it would be my pleasure to help you out."

She crossed her threshold and threw her arms around me. "You don't know how much that means to me. I've been so scared, thinking he's getting out of jail soon and coming back to finish the job."

I reached for my wallet and handed her a business card. I turned it over and wrote our head security guy's name and number down. "Call and tell him Edward asked for him to send Raffi over. Give him your address and I'll touch base with him later to make sure it's all good, okay?"

She nodded, and I turned and walked down toward the elevator.

"Edward?" she hollered down the hallway to me.

"Yes?"

"You're the angel God sent to me that I've been praying for." Then she shut the door.

There was a line at the police station counter for some reason, and I figured it was a big visiting day or something. By the time I got up there, the cop looked less than thrilled to speak to me.

"I need to see Frank Reynolds, please." I pulled my I.D. out of wallet and handed it over to him.

The cop perused it. "He's a pretty popular man these days," he mumbled while buzzing the door open for me.

I looked at him curiously, but didn't say anything. Rounding the corner, I pulled up the chair at the plastic barrier to wait for him to get there.

Frank looked at me and sat down. Shaking his head, he reluctantly picked up the receiver. "Boy, you guys never give up, do ya?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just need to ask you one question." Frank was acting a little strange but I shrugged it off.

"Yeah, I know what you and your little girlfriend want. I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told her. I have nothin' to say about the tattoo."

What the fuck? "Bella was here to see you? Why didn't she tell me she was coming to talk to this asshole? Something's not adding up here and I don't like what I'm seeing.

"Look, I have no idea what her name is and I don't know what kind of game you're playing. But I'm gonna tell you this – if you keep askin' about the tattoo, someone's gonna find out, and you won't live to tell about it. Catch my drift?" Frank ran his hands through his dirty hair and chewed on a toothpick while staring me down.

"Before Bella, I had met another girl with the same tattoo. Blondem about this high." I motioned with my hand that she was average in height. "She had it on her right hip, and I need to find her. Any idea where I might be able to do that?" It was a long shot but I had to ask.

"Ah, so you slept with Irina, huh? That's pretty fuckin' funny. You're in worse than I am, buddy. Nuthin' worse than sleepin' with the boss' girlfriend." Frank sat back in his chair, tilting it back on two legs and started laughing. "The boss is gonna have your balls for dinner. I'm sure your girlfriend is gonna love that too when she hears it."

I pressed my face against the plastic and put my finger up to it. "Listen, fucker. Quit being a prick because if you even think your boss is bad, you don't even know what I'm capable of. So you'd better start talking. If and when you get out of here, you're gonna wish you were back in this joint."

Frank's smile wiped off his face pretty quickly and sat his chair back down. "My, my, everyone's full of threats lately. Fuck it. Go to 5th & Main at the tattoo shop. That's where Irina works and if you're lucky, maybe she'll do you again. Just make sure her boyfriend doesn't see you, or you won't come out of there alive."

I scooted my chair back, blowing out a sigh as I left the jail, hopefully for the last time. Why was Bella there speaking to Frank? Better yet, why was she asking about the octopus tattoo?

The more I thought I knew about Bella, the less I really knew at all.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 – One Step Ahead**

**BPOV**

"Now, if you stand here next to the Fisker Karma you'll want to lean in to its left, right towards the middle of the hood. This car is phenomenal, you know. It just came out of production in Finland, and had its' first U.S. delivery this year. It's a plug in hybrid luxury sports sedan. It gets fifty-two mpg in the all-electric mode and twenty mpg for gas only. Isn't she a beauty? Oh, by the way, are you going to wear something black and sexy?" Emmett stopped pointing on the sketch laying on the small round table between our seats to turn and look at me.

"Why is everyone obsessed with me in something sexy and black?" I asked, tired of hearing the same damn question for the third time.

"Honey, sex sells cars, and black is a sign of power. Power is seductive. We want to combine the two so no client out there will leave without buying our cars. The car industry consists of a predominantly male clientele; with you hosting our showcase, wearing a hot, sexy number standing next to a half million dollar sports car, our inventory will be depleting as fast as you can say 'Go fuck yourself.'" Emmett wasn't one to mince words.

"Well, okay then. I guess that's settled. Alice also told me that Mr. Masen insisted I wear a pair of stilettos as well. My only hope is that I don't get up there and bust my ass," I responded, taking a sip of my coffee and trying not to burn my tongue off.

The flight attendant approached us in a huff. "Mr. Cullen, we really can't wait much longer on your other guest. We've got a flight schedule to maintain. Any idea when she's expected to arrive?"

Emmett checked his watch, and then pulled out his cell phone. "I'll text her right now. She said she was five minutes away, but that was fifteen minutes ago. She must've gotten stuck in traffic or caught at security. I'll let you know as soon as I get a hold of her."

While Emmett tried to reach Alice, I began to neatly compile my note cards. In the top left corner, my name was written on half of them, but the other half had Mr. Masen's name. I took it upon myself to memorize his lines too, just in case he was a no show. There was no way in hell I was going to look like a damn idiot just because his stupid ass didn't show up. I had just gotten done organizing them when Emmett started to speak.

"I neeth thu thell yuh but Edthwarth," Emmett lisped something unintelligible because a pencil was lodged sideways in his mouth while he was typing away on his iPad.

"In English, please," I replied, chuckling while pulling it out and throwing it down on his lap.

Emmett quit typing for a second. "Sorry. I said I needed to tell you about Edward."

"What about him?" I asked. Just then my phone sang out which was strange because I thought I had shut it off. "Uh, hold that thought, Emmett. Someone's calling me. I'll be right back." The lyrics to the song "Sexy and I Know It" played on my phone which embarrassed me in front of Emmett. I had played around with my phone the night after our first date while in the bathtub and had given Edward this ringtone. Now, I was regretting it.

I couldn't believe he was calling me after two weeks of not hearing from him. My mind wandered as the stupid song kept playing, "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah . . .I'm sexy and I know it . . ." so I hurried and hit the button on the phone.

"Hello?" _Fuck, I said hello?_ Like I didn't know who was calling me. He must think I'm the world's biggest loser. I definitely am nervous as hell though. I missed him. A lot. Yes, it was me who forced the distance between us and broke it off, but it definitely wasn't because I didn't want to be with him. My body let me know that every night. It missed his touch, his whispers, his love bites, his big . . .

"Bella, is that you? Are you there?" Edward asked over the phone, and I finally got the nerve to speak up.

"Yes, I'm here. Is everything okay?" Just hearing his voice made my body heat up, reminding myself how much I needed him back.

Edward blew out a long sigh on the other end of the phone. "I just wanted to hear your voice. I know you didn't want any contact from me, but it's been a rough couple of days, and I really wanted to hear your voice. I hope it's not a problem that I called."

"Of course not. I only have a few minutes though because my flight's getting ready to take off. How've you been?" Why was my voice all shaky? Suddenly, I felt like a young schoolgirl again, having her first crush. This man made me crazy.

"I'm doing all right. I'll be going out of town shortly as well, if you remember. The past two weeks have been busy, and you've just been on my mind lately. I don't want to overstep my bounds, but there's something I want to tell you." A moment of silence passed between us making me very apprehensive.

"Bella, I think about you every day. Hell, I think about you every night, too. I'm going crazy here because I've just never had these feelings for anyone before. I miss the hell out of you. You wrote in your letter that you wanted some distance, and I've respected your wishes. It's just so hard not to pick up a phone to call you or let you know how I feel. Am I making a fool out of myself by telling you all of this?" Edward let out a small laugh, but I could tell he was nervous.

"No, not at all. It's just that – ″

"Please, let me finish. I know you said you needed time and space, which I totally get. I really do because I've been that way most of my life. However, these past couple of weeks I've realized something." Edward didn't speak for about twenty seconds, making me think he had hung up, or we got disconnected. "Bella, I think I've fallen in love with you."

Okay. One could insert a long pause here because you could hear a pin drop it was so deafeningly quiet. My heart leapt in my chest and started beating so fast, I had to sit down. He loved me?

Edward sighed. "Damn, that's really not how I wanted that to come out. I'm a mess. Bella, my life is crazy, I've told you that, but I'm really trying to fix it. There are so many things I need to tell you about me which you really need to hear. I'd like to explain -″

Emmett's voice came booming at me toward the back of the plane. "Yo Marie, the pixie is here. The crew told us to settle in and buckle up!"

I threw my hand over the phone receiver as soon as I heard Emmett yelling, and then pulled it back to talk. "Edward, I'm so sorry. I have to go. I definitely want to discuss this further with you. Can we talk when I get back?" Damn Emmett. Of all times for a man to tell me he's in love with me, and I can't even tell him how I feel.

"Who was that?" Edward inquisitively asked in a harsh tone.

"Uh, just my boss yelling at one of my co-workers. We'll talk later?" Oh my gosh.

"Sure. You're back when?"

"In a few days. I'll call you when I get back because I'm in meetings all day and –"

"The plane needs to take off, Marie! Get your ass over here!" I swear I'm going to kill Emmett.

"I really gotta go. We're all getting screamed at. Talk to you soon, k?"

"Okay. Bye, Bella."

"Oh, and Edward?

"Yes?"

"I think I'm falling in love with you too."

"Really?"

"Yeah." The word came out as a soft whisper. I can't believe I said it. After all of my life not saying those words to anyone, I finally said it.

I hung up the phone and walked to the front of the plane. I knew I had the biggest grin on my face while I went to sit down in my previous seat.

"Whoa. Someone is hiding something! You got new underwear on or something? 'Fess up, girl!" Alice actually squealed with delight, acting like she knew exactly why I was smiling.

"It's nothing, really."

"Bullshit. Talk. Now." Alice could be so damn pushy when she wanted to be.

I moved in a little closer to her so no one could hear me. I spoke in a hushed tone and let her know what I just told Edward.

"Oh my gosh. That is totally awesome! I'm so jealous. It's about time you admitted it. You've been gushing over him ever since you two went out the first time. When do I finally get to meet this mystery man?"

"Well, probably right after we get back from this trip. Alice, I'm so happy right now. He makes me feel so giddy inside, like a teenager almost. He's so compassionate and caring. The sex is incredible; we just fit together so perfectly. He's sexy as hell and seems well established in his career. I've missed him so much this past week. It was my entire fault though that we haven't seen each other. I still need to take care of some things and apparently, so does he, but I think we're going to try and work through it."

"Wow. You're in love. It's written all over your face. I'm so happy for you!" Alice took her hand and put it on top of mine, squeezing it to show her acceptance.

"Who's in love?" Emmett asked, turning around in his chair to look at us.

"Um, Alice was just making an observation." I said, trying to change the subject.

"Ha! Who are you kidding? Anyone can see it, Marie. There's no need to hide it. Love is a great thing to experience, right Emmett?" Alice always was so expressive, and she wasn't about to stop now.

Emmett seemed a little uncomfortable for some reason, as if we didn't know about him and Rosalie or something. "Of course it's great. I just don't want anything else taking center stage when I need Marie's total focus this week. Don't get me wrong; its great being in love, I just need your attention to be on us and not daydreaming about getting into your boyfriend's pants or anything. You can do that all you want when you return."

The flight attendant's voice came through the speaker. "We're pulling out on the runway now. Would everyone please fasten their seatbelts?"

We did as we were instructed. I pulled Emmett's sketches toward me, reviewing them so I'd be prepared for the presentation. My thoughts ran to Charlie, momentarily wondering if he'd heard anything worthwhile last night in Emmett's house. The wiretaps would've picked up every conversation Emmett had in his house or his phone, so I was curious to what he'd found out. I'd be touching base with him once I arrived in the hotel because we weren't meeting our clients until dinnertime. Mr. Masen had to be one of the people Emmett had talked with recently, so I hoped Charlie gathered some good information that could nail these guys.

The flight attendant handed us a menu which I was thankful for because I was suddenly starving. Flying on a corporate jet had its advantages, and I was more than glad to partake in them. The choices were even enticing, especially for a lunch menu; steak and baked potato with asparagus, or blackened chicken with rice pilaf and green beans. While trying to decide what I was hungry for, I heard Emmett order two of everything. I swear that man could eat more than anyone I'd ever seen.

I decided upon the steak while Alice chose the chicken. Emmett spoke up after the flight attendant left. "So, earlier I had told you I wanted to talk about Edward. Mr. Masen, I mean."

He definitely had my full attention because Emmett never discussed Mr. Masen with me. I couldn't wait to hear what an arrogant prick he was; especially since he was so damn busy he couldn't even make it here on time to practice his speech for his own company.

"I'm going to refer to him as Edward, if that's okay with you. We've been friends forever, and it's easier to talk about him using his first name. Anyway, I know you don't know a lot about him, and he's basically AWOL from the company as far as you're concerned, but that doesn't mean he's not working behind the scenes." For some reason, Emmett finally decided it was time for me to know about his partner in crime.

"I'm listening." I responded, looking thoroughly interested because I had waited for this discussion for quite some time. The scumbag would get his punishment soon enough, so I ought to get some good background info on him.

"Edward and I met in middle school, and I lived around the corner from him. We're practically brothers because he was an only child and so was I. I'm sure you've formed your own opinion about him, especially since he's never around and isn't showing his face around to review this presentation. It's just that he's been a little preoccupied with something personal, and he's determined to see it through till the end." Emmett looked a little distraught, so I decided to pry.

"Is this something we should be concerned with at C&M?" I asked, trying to get some answers out of him.

"Oh, no. Edward's just trying to track down an old personal friend of his. He really is a good guy, Marie. He's a genius when it comes to business. We had a dream in high school to open up one of the best sports car shops in Florida, and we surpassed that goal years ago. We now have the best one in the nation. He's very savvy with money and people. Everywhere we go, every client we have has never complained about him once." Emmett stopped talking for a minute to take a drink of his soda.

"He keeps our customers very happy; making sure every one of them has exactly what they need. Our clients want for nothing because of his follow-up and expertise. Honestly, I think this stems from his childhood. His mother was a drug addict and he was left to take care of not only her, but the household as well. He went to school, then straight to his job just so he could pay the bills for them. She was totally incapable of doing anything to sustain their well-being."

Wow. I wasn't expecting this conversation to take a turn like this. He had me totally compelled and on the edge of my seat. "Go on. I'm pretty intrigued."

"Somehow, Edward kept it all together. He made straight A's, maintained a forty hour work week, and took care of his mother. Although he was accepted into most of the colleges he applied to, he turned them all down to watch over her. Little did he know it would all come to a halt. On the night of our high school graduation, we were sitting on his porch when we heard a loud bang. We ran as fast as we could, but it was too late. Blood was on the driveway, and his mom had just disappeared. She was dating a lowlife scumbag who was supplying her with the drugs. Edward hated him and his son with a passion but she kept him around, probably because he supplied her the stuff for free."

Our food arrived, and we stopped talking for a few short minutes to take a few bites. I spoke up first. "So, let me get this straight. You're telling me that Mr. Masen is a do-gooder whose mother died practically in front of him, and he kept the family together, paying the bills and doing the laundry, etc.? The same man who can't even come into the office and check on things, or meet me for a practice run?"

Emmett stabbed a piece of steak on his fork and stuffed it in his mouth. "Yeph, prethy mush."

"Please chew first, Emmett," I pleaded, not wanting to see the chewed up meat in his mouth. Sometimes he had no shame at all.

"Sorry, about that. I'm not saying Edward is a saint. Basically, I'm telling you all of this because I'm afraid you might have the wrong impression about him – especially since he hasn't been in to run over the car show with you. It's just that his ex was killed recently, and he's now head over heels in love with someone I've never even met yet. She must be pretty special though, because he's willing to give everything up for her."

Now, that had my attention. This Mr. Masen was a softie? Who knew? "What do you mean give everything up for her? He's leaving the company? He's not going to make it to this convention is he? That's just great – he's throwing me to the wolves and . . ."

"Wait just a minute. He's not leaving the company." Emmett took a long drink and had a funny look on his face.

"Well, what do you mean he's willing to give everything up for her, then? What else is there?" I asked, trying to drill him for answers because I pretty much knew what he was talking about, but he didn't know I knew what he meant.

"Uh, just all the long hours he puts in with C&M travelling, that's all. He's really a workaholic and honestly, he's never settled down with anyone before."

"I thought you just said his ex was killed."

"Yeah, it was an ex-lover, you could say. It really wasn't his girlfriend because, trust me, Edward doesn't do girlfriends. This girl must be really special."

I bet the girl was really special all right. What an idiot she must be for falling for a drug lord.

I pondered all of this information for awhile. Could Edward be thinking about dropping out of this horrid drug business and possibly going straight? Damn, she must be one hell of a woman for him to just drop out of sight and forego his top spot as head kingpin.

Hearing the background on Edward Masen almost made me feel sorry for him. Almost. Thoughts ran through my head about his motives for even getting into drugs. Given if all of these things were true, one would think he would stay the hell away from drugs since it messed his mom up. However, if you're a teenager trying to make ends meet, pay the bills, go to school and take care of a parent, it could be an easy way to make a buck – or thousands.

I shook my head to get those sympathetic thoughts out of my mind. That's totally not realistic. Doesn't he know he got thousands of people, probably most of whom are young adults, hooked on this stuff?

No, now we're going to need prior incriminating evidence to bring him in before he relieves himself of his post. We might need to move quicker than we thought in light of this new development.

I scarfed up that meal so fast that my stomach started gurgling a little. It was either that or my sympathy for Mr. Masen. Nah. It must be indigestion.

"So who killed her?" I might as well ask while we were on the subject.

Emmett stopped stuffing his face. "What?"

"You said someone killed the ex-girlfriend. Lover. Whatever."

Emmett put his utensils down and wiped his face with a napkin. "I didn't say anyone killed her. I said she was killed. Big difference."

"Oh, okay. So how did she die then?" My curiosity was getting the best of me, and I couldn't stand not knowing for some reason.

"Um, it was a car accident. Hey, are you going to eat that?" Emmett pointed with his fork toward the last bite of my steak which I was going to eat but decided I might as well let him have it.

"No, go ahead. He certainly doesn't waste much time between women. I certainly hope his focus will be here this week." There was so much more I wanted to know, but I knew I couldn't pry too much.

"It will, don't worry."

**EPOV**

My sleep became restless so all I did was toss and turn most of the night. The sun began to rise which made an eerie glow about my bedroom, casting rays of light here and there. I looked down at a particular spot it hit and saw it shining upon some strange looking object that must have fallen between the mattress and the side board.

Raising my head from the pillow to get a closer look, I glanced down at a used condom that had fallen there. Oh my God. I started to wonder how long that thing had been there. Bella and I had used condoms at her place but when I found out she was on the pill, I honestly didn't feel the need to use them for the first time in my life. It was pure bliss to feel her without the rubber barrier too. So, where had this thing come from?

Tanya and I always used protection but I rarely brought her to my room. Same with Victoria.

Holy. Hell. It dawned on me that there was only one other person I must have had sex with and couldn't remember one minute of it. The girl I woke up with the morning after Jazz and I had that run in with the guys from the dock. The blonde chick who I had no recollection of fucking must have ditched it there. What a gross thing to do. How have I not noticed that before now?

Rolling out of bed, I walked in the bathroom to grab some tissues to pick it up with and throw it away. As I was bending down to get it, a thought ran through my head. That's where I saw that octopus tattoo before! The chick had it tattooed on her right hip and I'd be damned if it didn't look exactly like the guy's tattoo Bella had taken down in the hallway last month. It had to be gang related. Or maybe Mafia related.

I didn't even bother showering before I had thrown on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt over my head. This was going to be my second trip down to the same jail in a few months which absolutely never happened, but I needed to find out what that scumbag knew. He had to still be there unless someone bailed him out, but I was hoping that wasn't the case. I needed to know what that damn tattoo meant and who was stalking me because I knew that shit wasn't just a coincidence.

The only problem was I didn't know the man's name and the easiest way to get it would be to go to the best source. Running down my porch steps, I threw open the door of my Ferrari and peeled out of my driveway. All the way over there, I prayed Bella wouldn't be home. It was midday on Tuesday, so I hoped she would be working. I arrived at her condo building in record time and walked into the lobby area to find the mailboxes. Knowing Bella lived in apartment 3310, I knew the even numbers were on the left side of the hallway. The man came out of the right side two doors down so that would make it 3307.

I knew it would be hard to get on the elevator without a key, so I waited around for an unsuspecting person. It took about fifteen minutes for an old woman carrying two bags of groceries for me to make my move.

"Oh, here can I help you with that? I was just going up myself." I knew she didn't see me hanging around the lobby because she could barely see over the bags.

"Why thank you dear! That's so nice of you. Most people nowadays don't care to help out an elderly person like myself." She handed over one of her bags to me.

"Why don't you give them both to me? They look quite heavy."

"Are you sure?" She asked as she started handing them over as I nodded.

"No problem. But since my hands are full, would you mind keying in floor 33 for me?"

She keyed it in for me, and I was good to go. As she got off on the twentieth floor, I handed over the bags like a nice gentlemen.

Starting down the hallway, I realized how much I missed coming over here to see Bella. The smell of her hair, the smile on her face and the touch of her body next to mine made me hard in an instant. Shit, I needed to get these thoughts out of my head, so I adjusted myself for a minute before I knocked on the door of 3307.

Silently, I prayed someone would be here. I couldn't remember the ladies name that lived here, but I'm sure she'd remember me after that one night.

After two lengthy knocks, I heard someone shuffling toward the door. She opened it but still had the chain lock on it.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asked me as she peeked between the crack of the door.

"Hi, I'm Edward, Bella's boyfriend from a couple doors down. Do you remember me?"

Her eyes scanned me up and down for thirty seconds before she replied. "Oh, yes. Please forgive me. I'm just a little rattled since Frank's episode in the hallway." She closed the door to unchain it and then re-opened it. "I don't even know if I thanked you for intervening on my behalf. You were a big help to your girlfriend that night in restraining him. I really do appreciate it."

All right, first name is Frank. "It's no problem. I don't mean to bother you but I was thinking of buying Bella a puppy for her birthday, and I didn't know if you were allowed dogs in the condo or not." Hell, it was the only lie I could think to ask and one that wouldn't make her suspicious of me.

"Oh, how sweet! Yes, we're allowed one animal."

"Great, thanks. Are you doing okay? Your boyfriend, uh Frank . . ."

"Frank Reynolds. And he's not my boyfriend anymore. However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still afraid of him. He's just the kind of guy your mother warns you about but I just couldn't help falling for a tough guy." She looked down, embarrassed about her situation.

"I'm sorry for that. Is he still in jail or has he made bail yet?" This bit of information might save me a trip.

"He's still there for the moment. Every chance he gets he makes a phone call asking about bail, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm really scared of him, and I don't know what to do."

I thought about this for a moment, realizing I was in a position to help this woman. It's not very often I can do something to help another person and living the life I've lived, I owed it to society to give back.

"You know what? I own a pretty large company, and we have some security folks that work for us. If you're all right with it, I could lend you one of my guys."

The look on her face brightened a little. "I couldn't ask you to do that. Besides, I really don't have anything to repay you with."

"No repayment necessary. You've been kind enough to give me the information I needed, so it would be my pleasure to help you out."

She crossed her threshold and threw her arms around me. "You don't know how much that means to me. I've been so scared, thinking he's getting out of jail soon and coming back to finish the job."

I reached for my wallet and handed her a business card. I turned it over and wrote our head security guy's name and number down. "Call and tell him Edward asked for him to send Raffi over. Give him your address, and I'll touch base with him later to make sure it's all good, okay?"

She nodded, and I turned and walked down toward the elevator.

"Edward?" she hollered down the hallway to me.

"Yes?"

"You're the angel God sent to me that I've been praying for." Then she shut the door.

There was a line at the police station counter for some reason, and I figured it was a big visiting day or something. By the time I got up there, the cop looked less than thrilled to speak to me.

"I need to see Frank Reynolds, please." I pulled my I.D. out of wallet and handed it over to him.

The cop perused it. "He's a pretty popular man these days," he mumbled while buzzing the door open for me.

I looked at him curiously, but didn't say anything. Rounding the corner, I pulled up the chair at the plastic barrier to wait for him to get there.

Frank looked at me and sat down. Shaking his head, he reluctantly picked up the receiver. "Boy, you guys never give up, do ya?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just need to ask you one question." Frank was acting a little strange but I shrugged it off.

"Yeah, I know what you and your little girlfriend want. I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told her. I have nothin' to say about the tattoo."

What the fuck? "Bella was here to see you?" Why didn't she tell me she was coming to talk to this asshole? Something's not adding up here, and I don't like what I'm seeing.

"Look, I have no idea what her name is, and I don't know what kind of game you're playing. But I'm gonna tell you this – if you keep askin' about the tattoo, someone's gonna find out, and you won't live to tell about it. Catch my drift?" Frank ran his hands through his dirty hair and chewed on a toothpick while staring me down.

"Before Bella, I had met another girl with the same tattoo. Blonde, about this high." I motioned with my hand that she was average in height. "She had it on her right hip, and I need to find her. Any idea where I might be able to do that?" It was a long shot but I had to ask.

"Ah, so you slept with Irina, huh? That's pretty fuckin' funny. You're in worse than I am, buddy. Nuthin' worse than sleepin' with the boss' girlfriend." Frank sat back in his chair, tilting it back on two legs and started laughing. "The boss is gonna have your balls for dinner. I'm sure your girlfriend is gonna love that too when she hears it."

I pressed my face against the plastic and put my finger up to it. "Listen, fucker. Quit being a prick because if you even think your boss is bad, you don't even know what I'm capable of. So you'd better start talking. If and when you get out of here, you're gonna wish you were back in this joint."

Frank's smile wiped off his face pretty quickly and sat his chair back down. "My, my, everyone's full of threats lately. Fuck it. Go to 5th & Main at the tattoo shop. That's where Irina works, and if you're lucky, maybe she'll do you again. Just make sure her boyfriend doesn't see you, or you won't come out of there alive."

I scooted my chair back, blowing out a sigh as I left the jail, hopefully for the last time. Why was Bella there speaking to Frank? Better yet, why was she asking about the octopus tattoo?

The more I thought I knew about Bella, the less I really knew at all.

**A/N: I know most of you were expecting the Vegas rendezvous, but I needed a little filler first. They do meet in the next chapter, I promise!**


	22. Chapter 20Replaced

Stephenie Meyers owns all things Twilight. Many thanks to my betas, Ange and Kirsten!

My apologies. Something happened where Chapter 21 posted before Chapter 20. Weird . . . anyway I apologize again and hope this doesn't cause much confusion.

**Chapter 20 – Hide - n - Seek**

**BPOV**

The music downstairs was just loud enough for me to shut a door and lock it without being heard by anyone. I had one last bug to install, so I hurried as fast as I could because I already had been gone about fifteen minutes. Questions were going to be asked about my whereabouts if I didn't show up soon.

Mark was right. This was tedious work, and just as I finished putting the bug in Emmett's bedroom, I took off the microscopic goggles and set the small tweezers back into my pocket. Emmett's bedroom was almost the same size of the house I grew up in, which made me reminisce of my childhood.

Our house was modest with three bedrooms and only one bathroom, which Mom and I always fought over during my high school years. We had some really great times there until my parents started their daily arguing. Between that and dealing with Lauren's death, I needed to get the hell out of there and hadn't looked back since.

Hearing the sounds of footsteps outside his room, I quickly crawled under the bed. _Shit!_ Thank goodness the bed skirt was long enough not to give me away.

"What are you doing, Em? We can't do this now! Someone might notice we're gone together, and that's not cool." Rose spoke in a hushed tone, but all I heard next was gross smacking sounds and groaning.

Un-fucking real. I can't believe this is happening. Of all places to get stuck in and of all times to be here – they better not have sex.

The kissing sounds continued.

"Rosie, baby, I don't care if anyone notices. We're going public, and I own the company for Christ's sake. You're just so damn sexy, I can't keep my hands off you." Kissing sounds abounded, and I was freaking out under the bed. "Besides, the appetizers just came out so people are busy eating. There's absolutely no reason why we can't have our own little appetizer up here first."

I had to do something, but what? More moaning occurred and then a zipper being pulled down spurred me into some quick thoughts. I looked up and silently thanked God for them still standing across the gigantic room as I pulled out my phone which was already silenced, and texted Alice.

**Stepped outside n noticed scary guys hanging around Emmett's car. Can't call or they'll hear me. Can u let him know?**

-Marie

I tried to write in text language to use smaller words. I don't think they could hear me text across the room, besides they were well occupied at the moment anyway.

In what seemed like eternity, I heard Emmett's phone ring. The panting kept getting louder, and I saw clothes drop to the floor. _Pick__up,__pick__up,__pick__up!_

"You should probably get that. It could be important." Rose breathily whispered to Emmett, but he let it ring two more times before he spoke.

"I don't care. We're busy and don't have a lot of time. Take off your panties for me, sexy thing." Sure enough, they continued on their sexcapades without giving the call a second thought.

I couldn't let this happen. It's not that I wouldn't be into the voyeur thing, but when it's your boss and a possible suspect at the same time, it killed the mood.

I texted Alice again.

**Did u call him? Think they're carrying guns too. Hurry . . . hiding in bushes & scared.**

-M

One minute later Emmett's phone is ringing again. Atta girl, Alice.

"Fuck! Who the hell keeps calling me?" By this time, Emmett's pants are on the floor, and he's digging in the pockets.

"What is it, Alice?"

Muffled sounds came from his phone, and I knew Alice was telling him the lies.

"I'll be right back, babe. Don't move. Alice said Marie saw something outside, and I'm going to check it out." Emmett pulled his pants on and Rose huffed a little but told him to be safe. When he walked out the door, Rose sat down on the bed. I could hear her breathe, and I prayed she couldn't hear me because with me still getting over my cold, I had a hard time breathing out of my nose.

"Guess I'll freshen up in the bathroom," Rose spoke to herself and walked into the adjoining master bath.

I didn't waste any time hauling ass out of there. I had to get downstairs quick and get out the back door so it looked like I had been out there the whole time. When I snuck out the back, I ran to some side bushes and threw some leaves in my hair. Seeing Emmett come toward me, I pounced out of the bushes like I had been there for awhile.

"Thank God you're here! There were three very huge men hanging out around your car, and I texted Alice to let her know. I was afraid to call in fear of them hearing me. You just missed them." I panted a little for drama sake.

"What'd they look like?" Emmett asked, peering around to see if anyone was still hanging around.

_What_ _DID__they__look__like?_ Hmmm . . . "I didn't get that good of a look at them except I know they didn't belong here. They had leather jackets on, and were pretty tall and stocky. They definitely weren't corporate guys, that's for sure."

"Hmm. It doesn't sound like anyone I've done business with. I hope no one in my house has enemies following them tonight. Well, thanks Marie, and I'm sorry you were caught out here. I could've sworn I saw you go upstairs earlier to use the restroom when the one downstairs was occupied. What were you doing out here?" Emmett's quite an observer. So he did see me go upstairs.

I had to think quickly which wasn't a problem for me. I decided to go with one of Edward's favorites. "Oh, I'm a stress smoker. As you know, I'm a little nervous about being onstage next week and presenting the new line. My nerves are just getting the best of me, and I needed to just have one cigarette."

Emmett chuckled. "Gotcha. I used to be like that, but I got over it. Interesting, though. I didn't peg you as a smoker."

The rest of the night went smoothly as we talked over the marketing strategy and not even a single punch was thrown. When I got home, I pulled out the computer and emailed Charlie that as soon as I encrypted the codes, we'd be good to go on listening in on Emmett's calls. I took the last of my antibiotics and fell into bed.

As I laid there, I wondered what Edward was doing right now. God, how I hoped he didn't have another woman in his bed. I shouldn't care though, because I was the one who told him I didn't want to see him anymore; at least for a little while. Hopefully, I could close this case soon with the bugs installed, Em's computer files carefully reviewed, and the elusive Mr. Masen brought to justice so I could move on with my life. Who was I kidding?

James needed to be taken care of now, too. He seemed like the biggest threat for some reason. Yes, he had hit me in college years ago, but he seemed like a harmless gnat, buzzing around when you least expected. However, I sensed that wasn't the case this time. He seemed much more ominous; especially having me followed halfway across the country when I'm on a date.

I needed to keep Edward out of danger because he had done nothing wrong. To put him in the middle of my past and now present risks was something I needed to get a grip on, hence my breaking up with him.

It was a little disconcerting that he hadn't tried to call me; not even once. I did tell him not to, but it still hurt he hadn't even tried to at least text me. I really missed our fun bantering back and forth. My heart kept telling me to pick up the phone, to text him and let him know I'm thinking about him, but I couldn't do that. I had to stick to my guns if I wanted to see this through and get rid of James.

At the present moment, I didn't feel the need to let Charlie know about James; it would just complicate matters in our current job and James was small potatoes anyway.

A few days later, I'm in my office reviewing all the notes on the fall line. The cars C&M produced were unbelievable. I wished I owned one myself. The company car was great and all, but to drive a Maserati, Lamborghini, an Aston like Edward had the other night . . . that would be heaven. I wondered briefly who Edward knew that owned the Aston Martin we desecrated last week when Alice popped in my office like a hurricane.

"Marie, here's our latest itinerary for Vegas. You'll be sitting with me on the flight home but with Emmett on the way up. He wants to go over your presentation with Mr. Masen. He said something about you being nervous giving your speech, so he wants it to be perfect. There's a lot riding on this line with major clients and bigwigs showing up, so he's going to give you some tips. He also is filling you in on the major talking points that most of the clients will ask you too." I swear Alice never stops for a breath.

"Great. Speaking of Mr. Masen, will he be flying with us in the private jet? I can't wait to meet the recluse." I laughed a little but was actually serious as hell.

"No, he said something about taking care of some personal business so he'd be getting in Vegas at the last minute. You two probably won't even meet until your presentation."

"What? I'm not even going to get to practice with him? What the hell? Are they setting me up for failure or what?" I shouldn't care so much, but since I had spent a lot of time with this company already, I felt compassionate about my position. I never do things half ass and wasn't about to start now.

"I know. I told him the same thing. He said he had complete faith in you or else Emmett would have never hired you. Also, he told me to tell you to wear something black . . . something about black making the red and silver cars stand out more," Alice said, making gestures like she was Vanna White. Oh, and he wants it to be a short sexy dress with stilettos too. He said Emmett thinks you're going to be a pivotal selling point because you look like sex on a stick. Isn't that funny?" Alice made a giggling noise and turned toward the door.

"Uh, okay, that's good to know." Wow, is this guy anal or what? "They're quite sexist, aren't they?"

"Oh, no, honey. Sex totally sells in this business. A hot woman like you, not to mention intelligent, pushing these exotic sports cars? They'll be knocking each other down to buy them up!" She left, shutting the door behind her.

Man, these guys are such chauvinist pigs. "Wear a sexy black dress and stilettos, blah, blah, blah." I should show up wearing an Amish dress with the lovely bonnet to match. Assholes. However, I knew it was true. Sex does sell and as much time as I've spent in this business, I've definitely learned this is the case. It has helped me sell quite a few cars so far. So, Mr. Masen escapes me yet again. Dammit.

I made my way around the queue to take my turn to talk to Mr. Personality, otherwise known as Deputy Fred.

"Hello, I'm here to see Frank Reynolds. He was brought in a few weeks ago on aggravated assault." I flashed my FBI badge and gave him a smirk. After the debacle in the hallway on our first date, I managed to get the man's name who I took down outside my condo. Remembering the black octopus tattoo on his wrist was similar to the one in the photo of the dead guy on the pier, I needed some answers. It might be a long shot, but I had to try to follow a lead.

Deputy Fred looked me over for a minute. "Bella Swan. You sure don't look like an FBI agent. Is that a fake badge you got there?"

"And how are FBI agents supposed to look these days, Barney Fife?" If he wanted to play coy, then I was going to be a sarcastic bitch.

"The name is Fred. Fred Hanson. No need to be sassy, lady. Sign here, and write your badge number down."

Fred guided me through a waist high swinging door and down a corridor to the visitor center. I sat down on the stool provided, and waited for Frank to show up on the other side of the thick plastic dividers that separated the inmates from the visitors.

The visitor center was packed with friends and families of the inmates. Some children were milling about, and my heart went out to them. I can only imagine what it was like to have a child with someone who was imprisoned. What would you say to them? Thank goodness I'll never have to know.

About that time, Frank appeared on the other side of the partition. Grabbing for the phone on the wall, we started to converse.

"Well, hello Frank. Remember me?" I asked into the receiver.

"Great. What do you want? To humiliate me some more?" Yep, Frank remembered me.

"I need some answers please. This won't take but a minute of your time. If you don't mind, I'd like to see something. Could you lift up your right shirt sleeve, please?"

"What? Why would I do that? And who are you, anyway?" Yeah, Frank was a real peach.

"A very concerned citizen who could press charges against you if you don't do as I say." Using my identity in front of Frank probably wasn't a great idea at this point. If I did, it could possibly jeopardize my whole operation.

"You wouldn't do that. I have friends in high places, scrawny girl."

"I'll take my chances. Besides, I've taken you down once already, and I'm not afraid to do it again, so just zip it and pull up the sleeve." I didn't have time for idle chit chat.

Frank sighed and unbuttoned his cuff. Sure enough, there was the tattoo, just like the guy in the photo.

"Tell me where you got this."

"What's it to you?"

"Hmm. Let me see. You don't cooperate with me, and I can make your life a living hell. Possibly add on a few years to that light sentence you're getting."

"It's an initiation symbol. You gotta have it to run with the gang."

"And which gang would that be, Frank? I need names, locations, etc." Why does every damn convict need to be so difficult?

"You're fucking kidding me, right? If I ever get outta here, which better be soon 'cause my bitch better be raisin' bail, I wanna see the light of day. If I tell you specifics, I'm a dead man, and I'd rather not have a death wish. I'm not talkin' an easy death either, Ms. Badass."

Great. One of those ritualistic gangs where they threaten your ass. Some gangs are proud to display their colors, symbols, etc. and others are so secretive. "Maybe I could get you a lighter sentence for cooperating with me."

"Did you not hear me? I. Will. Die. If. I. Tell. You. No way. I'd rather stay in here and be someone's bitch." Frank pulled his sleeve back down.

I blew out a long breath. "At least tell me where you got the tattoo done. How many others have it?"

"Why is it so important to you? You're no one but a girl next door, and a nosy one at that."

Frank wasn't making this easy on me which I figured as much. "Let's just say if I can't get a name of a certain tattoo joint then someone's bail might not make it here on time. I happen to know my neighbor pretty well, and I can tell her you're in no hurry to leave."

After a long sigh, he ran a hand through his hair. "5th and Main. There's about fifty of us I'd reckon." Frank stood up, letting me know he was tired of talking with me.

I nodded and hollered for the guard to let me out. Just as I pulled open the cell door, Frank spoke up.

"Off the record, the leader is one mean mother fucker. He's no one to mess with . . ." Frank pulled up his other sleeve to show me a brand on his forearm. It was oval shaped with a family crest of some sort. I leaned in to get a closer look.

"Fucker branded me one night with his ring, all because I accidentally knocked over his motorcycle. No one fucks with him and lives to tell about it."

Holy shit! I knew that ring anywhere. It was branded on the side of my face for two weeks. Fucking James. Something told me that I should be taking him a lot more serious than I had been. Was he the one that killed the guy and the girl at the pier the other night? My God! I slept with this man; thinking what he did to those two people made my stomach turn.

After the convention, James would be my first priority.

EPOV

"Transfer five million into my offshore account in the Caymans, but I still want to leave two million in the account here in the States. That's right . . . and don't forget to put the annual one million toward my charity. Thanks, Jenks. That'll be all." I sat the phone down and ran my hands through my hair.

Emmett and Jasper were to arrive soon. I knew they'd be shocked at what I was about to tell them, but I didn't care. It's about time I took some responsibility and got my life in order. I had lived dangerously on the edge far too long; ever since my mom died I acted out in reckless abandonment, not caring about a damn soul but myself. And why not? No one cared about me. No one ever checked on me. No one called to ask how I was doing. No one until now, that is.

Bella cared. Bella called to ask me how my day was or how things were going. She brightened my day every time we talked, and when we weren't together, I couldn't wait to see her again. When she was sick and couldn't get out of bed for three days, I loved taking care of her. I even cooked for her which was saying something. Staying beside her bed, holding her hand while her fever got the best of her was something I hadn't minded doing at all. Was I falling in love with her? I guess it didn't matter now because she broke it off with me, but if she hadn't done it, I would have. Ironic, but that was how things needed to be right now.

I had to believe she had strong feelings for me too because she almost told me the last time we were together. It was the best feeling in the world, and if it took me getting out of my position as a drug lord to win her back, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But first, I needed to get Jimmy out of the picture.

The doorbell rang, and I jumped up off the couch to get it.

"What's up, bro? You made it sound serious." Jasper asked, walking past me toward my liquor cabinet in the study.

"Is Emmett with you? I thought you guys were coming together." I peeked out the door looking for him.

"Yeah, fucker's sitting in my car talkin' to his girl. Apparently they got into a little tiff because Emmett's apologizing all over himself. I could hear Rose screaming at him over the phone, something about calling Marie sex on a stick." Jasper chuckled while pouring himself a scotch.

"Marie, the Sales VP? I have never met her. She's the one I think I'm presenting with in Vegas next week. Alice and Emmett thought it was a good idea to have me showcase with her instead of having one of those car models this year. Supposedly she's sexy AND smart. I guess they thought I'd end up screwing one of the models again." I decided I needed a glass of scotch too. This conversation warranted one, if not two.

"Remember the hot blonde you sacked last year? She called you for two weeks straight until you finally picked up the phone and told her the cops were on their way to her house if she didn't leave you the hell alone. That was so fuckin' funny." Jazz downed the rest of his scotch and slammed it on the table. "Speaking of Marie, I did catch a glimpse of her the other day when I gave Em a ride to lunch. She was walking to her car while talking on her cell phone. Em's right, she is sex on a stick. Long, brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, long, muscular legs . . . she's definitely a looker. I asked him who she was when he got into the car. It's a good thing he's with Rose or else he would've been tapping that already."

"It was three weeks straight the blonde bitch kept calling me, and Emmett's already told me what to expect from Marie. You'll be interested to know that I'm not gonna hit that. Edward here is turning over a new leaf which is part of the reason I asked you over here. Now, if Emmett would get his burly ass in here, we could get on with it." Peeking out of the blinds, I could see he was now out of the car at least and leaning against the door. He was gesturing with his hands like he was telling a story so she must still be hot over it.

"Call him." I stated to Jazz who looked up at me all confused.

"What?"

"Call his ass. I've got things to do tonight, and we need to get this conversation over with. I can't wait on him and Rose to hash this shit out all night."

Jazz took out his phone, and dialed up Emmett. It rang a few times until Jasper spoke into phone.

"Hang up on her ass, Em. We've been in here waiting forever. Tell her you love her and get it over with. Edward's getting his panties all in a wad over here, and needs to tell us something important."

I walked over liquor decanter and poured myself another scotch. Jasper looked over at me, shaking his head.

"What is it?" I asked as I started pacing back and forth.

"You're really nervous about something. I've never seen you act like this. What gives?"

"I just want to talk to the both of you at the same time." I've had enough of waiting. I raced out the front door, taking the porch steps two at a time. Grabbing the phone out of Emmett's hands, I screamed into the phone.

"Listen, Rosalie, I need to talk business with your boyfriend. He loves you. Get the fuck over your jealousy right now. He'll call you back in a few hours." I clicked the phone shut, and threw it over to Emmett.

"What the fuck are you doing? You can't hang up on my girlfriend. Who do you think you are?" Emmett took both his hands and pushed me hard.

"I need to talk to you, and you're out here dicking around. It's not like I even matter to you anymore. I'm trying to tell you guys something serious, and you don't give a shit!" I threw my hands up and started toward the house.

"Oh, no you don't. You're not the most important person all the time, Ed. You think the world revolves around you, and I'm sick of it." Emmett's finger was poking my chest, and Jasper came around to try and stand between us. "Whenever you want something, we always come running. Whenever you need something done or want something changed, we do it. Well, you know what, not anymore. I'm done babying your ass, you prima donna. You can't fly in our private jet with us on our biggest convention of the year because you 'have to take care of something.'" Emmett's face was now just inches from mine.

The scotch gave me a wrenching headache, making me ready to retaliate, however I knew Emmett was right. This chewing out was a long time coming.

"Did you know Marie has been practicing both of your speeches for this showcase? She wants it to go so perfectly that she has both your parts memorized. You can't even give her the decency to show up. Hell, she's never even seen a picture of you so she wouldn't know you if you knocked on her door right now and vice versa. You're pathetic." Emmett pulled his finger away from my chest finally, turning from me and looking away.

"I know. You're absolutely right about everything. I'm a selfish bastard who hasn't worried about anyone but me since I started in this hellish business. All I've cared about is how much money I can make and store away. I've never given anyone the chance to get close to me, and I still can't even now. As you guys know, people close to me have been offed right and left and it's all my fault. That's why I asked you guys here tonight." This wasn't how I had planned the night, but then again, it's a good as time as any to let them know my thoughts.

"Listen, I won't beat around the bush. I want out. Jazz, you can take over my role because you already know the business inside and out. I'll still be part owner in C&M, but it's time I retired from running the drugs." Jasper's mouth was hanging open and Emmett's face had a look of astonishment on it. I knew this would come as a complete shock to them, but it had to be done.

"You're joking." Emmett muttered while searching for his bumper to sit on. "Look, man I didn't mean to come off so harsh. Yeah, you can be a prick at times, but we still need you in the game. C'mon, Ed."

Jasper pulled in closer to us, and put a hand on my shoulder. "Look Edward, I'm not capable of taking your place. You and Em started this company, and you can really take it places. So, things are a little tough right now; we're used to it and have been in many more rough spots than this. What gives?"

"I don't want anyone else to get hurt. You guys might be next, and I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you. The good news is, I know who it is. That's the main reason I need to remove myself from the game and why I haven't been too involved with the car show. I need to find him and take him out before he gets too close to anyone else I care about." I pulled out a cigarette from the pack in my front shirt pocket and lit it.

"Wait a minute. This has to do with the girl you've been seeing doesn't it? That girl from the gym, right?" Jasper asked, bumming a cigarette from me.

"Eddie boy, you're not trying to tell us you're going straight for a woman, are you? Because if that's the case, I don't believe you. You've screwed more women than I can count. Not once have you ever gotten attached to any one of them."

I didn't know if I wanted to tell them about Bella or not. I definitely wasn't in the mood to get ribbed about it, that's for sure. "Listen, all you need to know is that I'm getting out. I will do the car show, of course, because I want to stay with C&M. Em, you and I started that business, and it's our baby. As far as the drug running, I'm done."

"Sooo, that's it? You're just quitting with no turning back? I can't handle this all by myself, Ed. You've got all the contacts, and everyone knows you. Without you, this business is going to go to shit." I was afraid that Emmett would be pissed, but he was actually taking it better than I thought.

Jasper spoke up next after taking a long drag off his cigarette. "Ed, there's no way I'm ready to take over for you. You and Em created this business, and now you're the biggest ring we have in the southeastern U.S. If word got out that you're no longer involved, we'd lose clients right and left."

I motioned for the guys to follow me inside the house. Once we were indoors, I let them know the specifics I had in mind for the whole transition for Jazz to take over for me. From going over the area coverage, mafia families, competitors, etc. we were pretty much done in six hours. We only stopped for Emmett to call Rose to let her know he'd be missing dinner with her. I apologized to her, reluctantly, because she could be a real bitch sometimes. Oh, and we stopped to order pizza because if Emmett's stomach didn't stop growling, I was going to kick his ass.

Around one in the morning, we decided to call it a night.

"Seriously Ed, tell me about your girl." Emmett could be pretty relentless, so I decided to fess up.

I blew out a big sigh while running my hands through my hair. "She means everything to me. I think that's pretty obvious since I'm handing my business over to you on a silver platter. The thing about her is she's so honest and pure. What I mean by that is she just gets me, you know? We have fun together, and we could be doing totally nothing, just lying on the couch, talking for hours on end. On the other hand, she's a badass. On our first date at her house, there was this strung out dude in the hallway, ready to beat the shit out of his girlfriend. We go out to see what's happening and to make a long story short, she ends up taking the guy's knife away and nailing his ass to the floor." I couldn't quit talking about her. It's like I had word vomit.

"Then a couple weeks ago, we're driving home, and I see someone is tailing us. Obviously, she does too, unbeknownst to me, because while I'm waiting in the car talking to you," I pointed over to Jazz, "she's beating the shit out of the guy who followed us. She choked him out, grabbed his ID and keys, and we left like nothing ever happened."

"Holy shit. Seriously? Where'd she learn to fight like that?" Jasper was curious because he was a badass fucker as well.

"She said her dad taught her in case she might need to hold her own. I'd say he taught her well, because I bet she could take me down. Maybe even you guys too." I laughed as I said it, but I meant every word.

"You don't think that she's, uh, someone we should be worried about do you?" Jazz asked as he got up off the couch.

"At first, I had my suspicions because I have never seen a girl fight like that - ever. Hell, even that Nikita girl on TV's got nothin' on Bella. I even asked her if she was a cop." I hesitated telling them this, but I figured it needed to be said.

"And . . .? Ed, if you've gotten involved with a cop, you know what that means, right? You might as well put the handcuffs on for real, no foreplay entailed. It sounds like you're playing with fire. Fuck, man. Do you know what you're doing?" Emmett was always a worry wart, asking fifty questions all the time.

"I got it handled, man. I wouldn't endanger this business, let alone our livelihoods. She's not like that. If she was a cop, I'd know. Besides, now that I'm getting out, there's nothing to find anyway." I got up and showed Em and Jazz to the door.

"I hope you're right, man. For all our sakes. Hey, are we still on for tomorrow afternoon at the shooting range? I just bought a new Glock and am dying to try it out," Jazz mumbled out the last sentence through a stifled yawn.

"Yeah, that's cool. I'm calling in some resources to help me out with finding Jimmy in the morning, well, in a few hours now I guess. I'd really like to find him and get him taken care of before our Vegas trip. But yeah, I'm good in the afternoon. I'll meet you there at five."

They both answered at the same time. "See ya, man."

I shut the door behind them and locked it. Tomorrow was another day, and the first day to tracking Jimmy down. I couldn't wait to bring his ass in and rearrange his face. He's messed with the wrong guy one too many times.

A/N: This was a transition chapter but things needed to be taken care of. Sorry for the long wait but I was on a long weekend trip in St. Lucia. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Next chapter should be Vegas, baby! Any ideas on what happens, let me know! I'd be excited to hear about them.


	23. Chapter 22  Don't I Know You?

**Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. Many thanks to my betas, once again.**

**Okay, this it! The moment you've all been waiting for . . . I hope I do it justice. Please review to let me know if you like it. **

**Chapter 22 – Don't I Know You?**

EPOV

I had two hours before my plane left for Vegas, so this little side trip better be productive. My bags were in the trunk all ready to go; now I needed to take care of tracking down James, and once I did, I'd come back from the convention in full force. My men hadn't come up with any new leads on finding him yet, and this was probably a long shot as well, but if I didn't check it out I'd wondered if I'd be missing a vital piece of information.

Walking in the tattoo shop, I looked around for Irina, her name according to Frank, and who just happens to be the boss' girlfriend. Great.

This place was interesting to say the least. Five chairs were lined up each side of the shop, filled with anxious twenty-something's waiting to get scarred for life with some picture or motivational phrase that mattered to them at the moment.

Looking around for the blonde who I hoped had lots of answers for me, I quickly noticed the tattoo artists stopping what they were doing to give me the once over. I ignored them and walked to the back of the shop where the sales counter was hidden in the corner.

"I'm looking for Irina," I said this pretty loudly so my voice would be heard over the bell since I had just hit it.

A heavily tattooed and multiple pierced man looked up at me from his conversation with his buddy. They were obviously gay by the way they were touching each other on the knees and playing footsies with each other. He stood up, glanced at me from head and toe and licked his lips. "Well, hello, sugar! Who might we have here?"

Good question. Who was I today? Edward Masen, a man interested in saving his business and preserving what's rightfully his, or Edward Anthony, protector of friends and prospective girlfriend so they're not the next ones lying dead somewhere?

"Just tell her Eddie wants to speak with her. Please." I paused before I said please, not because I currently had manners, but thought it might get me a quicker response.

The guy disappeared out the back door and comes back in a few minutes with a smirk on his face. "Irina said if you're the tall guy with messy bronze hair and big dick, by all means," the guy replied while leaning over the counter, suddenly staring at my crotch. His buddy stood up from behind him and did the same thing. Geesh.

I followed him around the corner down a hallway to a back office. There were two huge, buff men standing at the door guarding it as if something valuable was behind there. The tattooed man opened the door, looked up at me and grinned. Before he shut the door, he winked and told me to behave myself.

The office was much more upscale than I imagined, but I wasn't here to get decorating ideas. Irina greeted me with a big hug as if we were BFF's or something. I took her arms off me immediately, as I definitely didn't want to give her the wrong impression.

"Look, Irina – right? I'm not here to catch up where we left off. I need some answers from you."

"Ah, look who's come back for seconds. You know, Eddie, we can have a little fun first, and then you can ask me what you want to know. C'mon, baby." Irina actually made this purring sound while reaching for my belt.

I grabbed her hands, putting them down by her side. "Irina, stop. I came here to get some information from you. There have been quite a few people I know that have gone missing and turned up dead, and I think your tattoo might be a link. Rumor has it your boyfriend might be the key, so I need you to tell me what you know."

At this point, I pretty much knew Jimmy was behind it all, but I needed to make sure there was no one else in the picture. I had made quite a few enemies over the years while selling, dealing, and now being the head of the drug industry, all while stealing some Mafia business along the way. So, yeah, it was possible it could be the Mafia I was dealing with too.

She huffed, turning around to sit in her chair. I noticed she had a few lines of coke laid out her desk, and I silently wondered how much she'd snorted already. "Hmm. Interesting to know that everyone is enthralled with my tattoo. You wouldn't happen to know the brunette cop as well, huh?"

I still can't believe that Bella would visit a joint like this. And why? First she's beating the shit out of someone tailing us, then going to the jail to question a thug she put in there herself, and now here to the tattoo shop. What the fuck was going on with her? Why would she be concerned with the same situation as me? And how is she always one step ahead of me? "She's not a cop, and you definitely know I'm not. Let's not beat around the bush. Is your boyfriend James Tanner? If so, I need for you to give me an address so he and I can have a little talk."

Irina bent down, snorting each line in a matter of three seconds. Afterwards, she took her fingers and brushed them against her nose. "Irina, I really need to find your boss before he does more harm to anyone else. Do you understand that? He's taken this vendetta against me way too far, and this needs to end. Now."

"You're fucking the nosy brunette bitch, aren't you? My, my, my. You're just here to get me to tell you where my boss is so you can take him away from me – and all because you want to save your girlfriend's ass." Irina made her way around the desk towards me, her eyes now glazing over and turning red. Who knew what else she was on? "I can keep your mind off her, you know. You know I like it rough, baby, so you can't hurt me. If memory recalls, you like it rough too. I'll make you a deal. You give me what I want, and I'll give you what you want." Irina's hand reached for my crotch where she started stroking me.

I grabbed her hand just as tightly as I could, and she made out a wrenching sound. "I'm not fucking around, Irina. Give me the information or this will get ugly. Now, I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I need to."

"Ah, Eddie. But you see, I have the upper hand. No one knows the address but me because I'm the only one he trusts. You hurt me, and you'll never find him. By the way, did you see those two bodyguards outside the door? My boyfriend put them there to protect me. There's no way out except through that door, and they each have two guns apiece. The only hard thing you're sporting is little Eddie, which by the way, started to rise to the occasion there for a minute. There isn't trouble in paradise, is there?"

Why the fuck wouldn't I bring a gun with me? The damn Glock is in my glove compartment, but I knew I couldn't get there without going through those two idiots out front. The clock was ticking, and if my ass wasn't on that plane, Emmett would be worse to face off with then these two ass wipes.

"I'm not fucking you, Irina. Yes, the brunette is my girlfriend, so I'm not going to cheat on her. What do you want? Money?" I took out my wallet, handing her a few hundred bucks. "Just give me a name and address, and no one will be hurt; I just need to get a few things straight with him."

Irina walked over to the door, opened it and whispered something to the bodyguards. They took out their guns, cocked them back, and then turned towards me, blocking the doorway.

"Have a seat, Edward. Just what kind of money would we be talking about, sugar? From the looks of your house and your car, you're pretty loaded. What's it worth to ya?" Irina leaned back in her chair, kicking her legs up on the desk smirking like a fucking idiot.

Figuring this would happen, I pulled out my checkbook from my jacket pocket. Nothing works better than good old blackmail and a few zero's. "Okay, you give me an address AND a name first, then I'll write the check. So help me God, if you so much as dick me around, you will live to regret it."

Irina was already writing something down on a piece of paper. She pushed it across the desk, her eyes looking up at mine while I read it.

_James Tanner, 1501 Orange Ave, Hialeah, Fl. Make check out to Irina Mallory for $200,000._

I knew it. That fucker gets around. He's probably had me followed for months and even got me to sleep with his girlfriend. Dickhead always gave me his seconds. "That's a bit steep for an address, don't you think? Are you planning on giving me any more information than that for this huge amount?" I reluctantly wrote out the check, but figured I didn't have a choice. At least I post dated it by a couple days until I had Jasper scope the situation out.

"It's worth every penny, and you know it. If you catch up with him there, don't mention where you got the address. I won't live to see another day if he knows I ratted him out to you. He hates you with every fiber of his being; not just for stealing his business but especially for what your mother did."

That shot me out of my chair so fast the bodyguards started charging into the room. I looked at her like she was insane. "What the fuck are you talking about? What MY mother did? What about what HIS father did to HER?" I screamed, not caring who heard me. "Tell me, Irina! What about my mother?"

She took the check, looked at it, and then folded it up, stuffing it in her pocket. "She shot and killed his father. Don't you know that?" Irina replied like it was no big deal.

The bodyguards were closing in while I just stood there, trying to grasp what she had just said to me. "That's impossible. Aro's the one who shot and killed her! He's such a slimy little prick, spreading all kinds of vicious lies about things he knows nothing about. So help me God, I will kill him if it's the last thing I do!"

Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum snuck up behind me, grabbing my hands behind my back while obviously looking at Irina for direction. My breathing was at full force now, and I swear I could have a stroke at any minute. How dare that prick say my mother killed his father?

"Let him go. Edward, don't come back or they'll kill you. All I know is what James told me, but I will tell you this. He visits Woodlawn Cemetery every June eighth or some reason. Now get the hell out of here."

I had exactly forty–five minutes to catch the damn plane to Vegas. So many things were running through my mind; the last thing I wanted to do was hop on a plane across the country, but Emmett would kill me if I didn't show up. C&M was my life for so many years now, so I couldn't fuck it up. However, thoughts of what Irina said to me kept running through my head that I almost missed the airport exit.

"Dial Jasper," I yelled into my car phone as I turned off the exit ramp.

Jasper picked up on the second ring. "Yo, dude. I hadn't heard from you in a couple days. No word on a location for James. Our guys are busting up some assholes down at the Pelican Bar though because of a late shipment."

"Jazz, look. I don't have much time. I need you to go to Woodlawn Cemetery and see if you can find an Aro Tanner. If you have to go to some kind of an office or slip someone $500, then do it. I need to know if this fucker is really dead."

I didn't hear anything for a second. "Jazz, you there?"

"Are you talking about the man who killed your mother? That Aro Tanner? Did he recently die or something?"

"It's just a rumor, but I heard he might be there. Look, check it out. I got a plane to catch, so call me when you got something, okay?" I pushed the off button while spiraling up the ramp in the car garage. This had been a long day already, and I hadn't even gotten on the plane yet. The four hour plane ride would at least give me some time to think about this whole situation.

"Here's your room key, Mr. Masen. Will you need anything else?" The woman behind the counter was pretty, and I could tell she was flirting with me but I wasn't interested. Jazz had texted me while I was in the taxi that he needed to talk to me, but I didn't want to speak to him until I got to the room. This shit was too sensitive to talk about in front of other people.

It was now seven at night which gave me an hour until I needed to meet Emmett and Marie for rehearsal. Em had emailed me the list of cars we were showing and which ones I'd be responsible for showcasing. He also wrote that he and Marie had gone over every detail on the flight over, and she'd already made suggestions to make it flow more smoothly, so he was really pleased with her so far.

I was glad because I hadn't looked at a damn thing yet. Winging it was what I did best. My charm had gotten me quite far in this business, however, I knew I wouldn't be at the top of my game with everything I had going on.

My card slid in the key lock, and I wheeled my luggage in the room. When I stayed in Vegas I always booked the Presidential suite in case we had to entertain the clients, especially if they were in a buying mood. We played the part well, and it was definitely the style of room I was accustomed to.

I took out my phone and spun through my contacts for Jasper. After five hours, I wondered if he had good news for me. The mini bar was calling out to me, so I decided to raid the little liquor bottles for this scary conversation. Would I hope he did find an Aro Tanner tombstone indicating he was dead and my mother possibly the shooter? This could mean she's alive, but maybe in jail somewhere. Would I hope he didn't find it and my mother died a terrible death after all? Damn, these thoughts wouldn't leave my head. I screwed off the cap of a bottle of Jack, finding a Coke to mix it with in the side door of the fridge.

My curiosity was killing me, so I hit speed dial and waited. And waited. Dammit. Where was he? Fuck. After pacing around for fifteen minutes, I texted him to hurry up, and call me back. I decided to grab a quick shower before I had to run downstairs, my mind wandering to exactly what Jazz got caught up in that was so important he couldn't return my calls.

My shower was relaxing, the warm water running off my back from the high speed shower massagers, feeling damn good right now. I thought back to my phone call with Bella; I was so glad I told her exactly how I felt; it was a lot for me to express my feelings – especially after Mom died. For the first time in my life, I felt comfortable with a woman enough to be myself, letting my guard down and enjoying the simple things. Our dates were wonderful, she was so down to earth and genuinely cared about me. I had looked forward to taking care of her when she got sick with her cold, and her phone calls at night were comforting. I had missed it so much, and telling her my feelings before she boarded the plane felt so right. When she reciprocated those feelings, I felt my heart would burst. It was indescribable.

Stepping out of the shower, I grabbed the phone to see if I missed Jasper's call. There were still no messages. Was he fucking with me or what? I now had about thirty minutes until the run through, but there was no way I could go rehearse without hearing from him. I started pacing again mindlessly. What was going on? Taking a deep breath, I decided not to jump to conclusions, so I pulled out my laptop to study the cars we had being presented tomorrow.

Within a few minutes, my phone buzzed, and a feeling of relief washed over me.

"Jazz, you scared the shit out of me, where the hell have you been?"

Emmett's voice came booming over the receiver. "Ed, it's me. Where the fuck are you? You need to be down here."

"I'm waiting for Jasper to call with some important news, man. This can't wait. Marie will be fine, you said so yourself. I'll be there tomorrow, and I'll try to be there tonight. Jasper's checking on something important though, and I really need to talk with him."

"Ed, this is super important, and you know it. Quit fucking around. What's so important that you can't come down and rehearse? You know it's our biggest fucking event of the year."

Emmett had been about as patient as he was going to get, so I knew I had to let him know what was going on. Letting out a big sigh, I decided to give it to him straight. I told him all about what Irina said, and how Jazz was now at the cemetery looking into the whole situation.

"Let me get this straight. Jimmy's current whore told you that Aro was killed by your mother after you gave her two hundred grand to discover where he's hiding? Are you fucking nuts? You believe her? And you sent Jasper to check it out? It's a fucking set up, man! You're not thinking straight. You're so dead set against finding him, pulverizing his scrawny ass to the ground that it's clouding your damn judgment!" Emmett's accusations kept rolling off his tongue.

"Let me tell you something. If I can get one piece of evidence out there that my mother didn't die at the hands of that asshole and she might possibly be alive, I'm taking it. Can you imagine if she's alive somewhere and has to hide out because she did kill him? Jazz is a smart man; he'll be careful." Deep down, I knew it was highly improbable as I'd looked the world over for her already. However, if she was imprisoned by Jimmy, that's a whole different story.

My pacing was getting worse as I tried to figure this mess out. Emmett spoke up immediately. "Listen, she probably blurted out a date in her mind, knowing you'd go check out the cemetery tomorrow, and she's right. It worked. Call Raffi. Get him to go look for Jazz."

"Raffi's busy with another project I put him on. I'll call Sean. Surely Jazz is fine, but if not, I swear I'm gonna kill this fucker as slow as possible."

"Don't worry, we'll find him. Get Sean on it, and I'll step in for you in rehearsals. Keep me updated with a text. If I don't hear from you, I'll know you didn't hear anything. But I will see you first thing tomorrow at 9:30 am. You cannot miss this presentation, dammit. No matter what, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there." I hung up while stepping out on the balcony. I looked out over the beautiful Vegas skyline with all the neon lights shining in their glory. I had to stay positive and believe Jasper would be successful in finding the least little bit of evidence. Emmett might be right; Irina could've set me up, but it was the chance I had to take. We hadn't checked out the location yet, and I hesitated to do so, thinking she had a hand in that too. I could send out one of dispensable guys to check it out, because now I wasn't so sure it was even a viable lead. As the hours went by, I was getting skeptical.

Three hours later, and no message or phone call from Jasper. He was probably lying dead in the river like the Franchetti brother. Fuck me. Jet lag was catching up with me making my eyes heavy and sore. I laid down for a minute on the bed, phone in hand, making myself a little comfortable on the soft feather pillow.

The next thing I knew, sunlight poured in through the window blinds causing me to squint and cup my hands over my eyes. The clocked showed it was 8:00am. Holy hell, I had slept all night without moving. I hadn't done that since high school. My phone was still clutched in my hand, but I had no missed calls. There was a reminder text from Emmett that told me to get my ass down to Convention Hall R in the south wing by 9:30 am, so I hurried my ass out of bed.

I took out my black Armani suit, white shirt and green tie to match my eyes, of course. I jumped in the shower again real quick just to wake my ass up, trying to erase my thoughts of Jasper lying dead in a ditch somewhere.

The convention center was bustling with all sorts of commotion; people diligently checking their cell phones as they milled about, reviewing last minute details of their schedules. Glancing around, I saw some beautiful automobiles, but nothing would ever compare to ours at C&M. We excelled in every aspect of these fine pieces of machinery, and every vendor here knew it. Our reputation was one of the highest standards, beating out our next competitors by at least $25 million.

The time on my watch stated it was 9:27am, so I was punctual to say the least. I pulled out my phone, wanting to text Bella that I was thinking about her and would be home soon. We needed to hash out a lot of things, and after this trip was over, I hoped we could get some downtime. Maybe I should plan a vacation for us. We could come back to Vegas, but I wasn't sure she was the gambling type. Once I knew Jasper was safe and sound, Jimmy taken care of, and the drug business in Jasper's hands, I was starting a new life.

People started coming up to me, obviously remembering me from years past when I showcased the last five events in the Main Hall. No photographs were ever allowed in there as each person had to sign a non-disclosure agreement so they couldn't steal our designs. I talked with some of them; asking how their year had been in this slow economy, but honestly, I could care less about anyone else. We had a banner year yet again, and I had to give Emmett kudos for keeping our books straight and the sales flowing.

According to Emmett, this Marie Dwyer had a big hand in that, so I couldn't wait to thank her in person. I caught a mirror in one of the hallways, so I decided to straighten my tie, knowing I now had about ten minutes till we went on. Suddenly, I heard voices arguing to my left and then Emmett coming toward me on my right.

"Hey, there you are. Any news on Jazz?" I shook my head but looked at Emmett's eyes peering over my shoulder. He was fidgeting, wringing his hands like he was a little nervous about something.

"What are you looking at, and why are you nervous?" I turned to my left to see a couple in a heated argument about twenty yards away. Focusing my eyes, I looked a little harder when the woman looked strangely familiar. Her back was facing me and she wore a tight, sexy black dress barely covering her ass with these hot looking stiletto heels.

"It's Marie. She's arguing heatedly with some greasy haired derelict over there that I can't see very well. I don't know who the hell he is, but he's got her all worked up, and we can't afford for her to be preoccupied right now. Besides, she's already so nervous that she just puked up her breakfast, not to mention her dinner last night."

The man's hands touched the woman's shoulder which she jerked off, turning her body toward me for me to get a better look at her.

Holy. Fuck. If that was Marie, she sure resembled Bella, although she looked about five pounds thinner. Her finger was pointed in his face, but he just smirked at her. Wait a minute. I knew that fucker's face anywhere. Jimmy. But Jimmy and Marie together? What was going on?

"Who did you say that woman was?" Surely Emmett wasn't nodding toward the same person who I was staring at.

"Dude, that's Marie, right there in the black dress. She's our VP of Sales, you dumbass - which you'd know if you ever came in to your own company once in a while. Who's that slimy fucker anyway? Damn, he looks so familiar." Emmett strained to see them too, both of us probably looking ridiculous right now.

"Oh my God," I whispered, my mouth hanging wide open as I just stared at them. The resemblance was uncanny. I couldn't believe it. My heart beat so fast I thought it was going to jump out of my chest. Then I heard it. The Mission:Impossible theme rang out, and the woman grabbed her phone out of her purse silencing it immediately.

Fucking hell! She played me. All this time, she was another one of James' lackeys trying to convince me she actually cared about me. How could I be so stupid? It'd only been a couple of weeks since I'd seen her, but I swear she'd lost some weight.

"What is it, man? You're looking awfully pale . . . and shut your mouth. It's hanging wide open."

"Jimmy." That's all I had to say, and Emmett's face looked as pale as mine. Except what he didn't know was the girl who he thought was Marie was actually my Bella.

My Bella. Fire burned through my veins right now, scorching my insides while I felt totally betrayed and used. James had to have paid a pretty penny for her services; I couldn't believe how much trouble he was going to, and for him to hire an intelligent woman with a sales background, fighting skills . . .

Wait a goddamn minute. This all made sense now. The person Bella was fighting at the gas station, her going to see Frank in the jail and then Irina. It was all a ruse. They were all in it together but trying to get me to think she was a cop. Boy, was that brilliant. And I had fallen for it.

"Shit, man. How does Marie know that fucking scumbag?" Emmett couldn't believe his eyes, but I was light years past that now. My head was reeling with questions but most of all, hurt and rejection. I couldn't tell Emmett that Marie was actually Bella because I would be the stupidest man on the planet. Or was Bella actually Marie?

There was a column beside us so both Emmett and I stood behind it shielding ourselves so they couldn't see us. "Didn't you even do a fucking background check on her?" I asked in a half whispered voice. Waves of heat were penetrating from my body, and I could explode any minute.

"Of fucking course I did. She came back clean as a whistle. How can this be? You don't possibly think those two are scheming together do you? She looks really pissed at him right now. I don't get it. There's no way she can be associated with James." Emmett peered over there, and as he did, Bella stormed off but not before James took her hand and kissed it.

C&M's name came over the loud speaker notifying us that we were to go on next. "Look, man. We've got to get our shit together. I know you want to punch him out right now, but you have to let it go. We know he's here. I'm calling one of our security guys right now to tail him. Just get going up onstage with Marie, and get this over with. We'll catch him, Ed, I promise."

My mind was all over the place; my breathing was erratic, my heart falling deep into my chest. How could I let myself fall in love with someone who was working with my worst enemy? She led a double life, leading me to believe she was someone else entirely. Who does that?

Suddenly, the irony was not lost on me. I couldn't let her know I was on to her though.

She could lead me to Jimmy; I wouldn't need a location or someone to tail him because Bella was going to do that for me all by herself. All I had to do was stay close to her, not letting on that I knew what her little scheme was. It would be the hardest thing I had to do; pretending to be in her good graces when all I wanted to do was get even with her for ruining my life. Hell, she might've even been the one to have killed Tanya!

Shaking my head of these emotions, I made my way up the back stairs. I was going to make the grandest entrance of all, and the look on Bella's face would be priceless. The music started, and within a minute, I heard her voice. That lovely voice I knew and had once loved, but now only had disgust for.

After she talked for a couple of minutes, I decided to stroll in behind her. She had ad-libbed about my absence, saying I got caught up discussing the latest Ferrari schematics with other vendors in attendance. I'll give her that; she was nothing if not a good liar.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! Sorry for the delay, as Ms. Dwyer_"_ I said these words quite succinctly while looking over at her, giving her a look that knew I was on to her, "pointed out, I got caught up in a little heated discussion backstage. Now, let's get on with C&M's latest spring line, shall we?"

The look on Bella's face was one of sheer terror. She turned from blushing to pale white in less than ten seconds, which only gave me sheer happiness.

"This Fisker Karma is the latest in sports luxury, giving only the elitist of the elite the most luxurious, comfortable ride of their lives. If you would put one of these babies in your window, sheiks and CEO's would be beating down your door!" I knew these words weren't in the notes Emmett gave me throwing Bella off so she'd have to work harder. Bitch deserved it.

"Now, _Ms. Dwyer_ here is our new VP of Sales, and she's quite a good one at that. She's sold over a dozen of our latest Aston Martin's to many of our great businessman as of late. Rumor has it she's gotten in their good graces, if you know what I mean." I winked, looking over at Bella, her face getting red, and jaw clenching tightly.

Hmm. Someone looks a little pissed.

Bella Marie, the new name I decided to give her, glared daggers at me. "Well, nice of you to show up _Mr. Masen._ So glad our biggest showcase of the year finally brought you out of hiding. We wouldn't want to disrupt your life any more than it already has."

I looked out in the audience, and Emmett was giving me the finger across the neck sign, indicating he wanted us to cut it out. I didn't care; Bella deserved to be sabotaged just like I had been.

I tried to play nice the rest of the showcase with Bella Marie pretty much doing the same. Tension flew off of us like fireworks though, and when it was over, she grabbed me backstage.

"YOU'RE Edward Masen? What the hell? You don't think you could've brought that up at some point in our relationship?" Someone was very pissed but totally didn't deserve to be. She fucking knew who I was all this time. What an actress!

"Fucking excuse me, MS. DWYER? I can ask you the same damn question!" I had completely no intention of letting her know I saw her altercation with James before we went onstage. She was going to get exactly what she deserved.

Bella Marie hesitated. "That's totally different, and you know it. The only reason I didn't give you my real name the first time we met was because I didn't know you. If you recall, we just bumped into each other in a lingerie store dressing room for God's sakes. I had no idea who you were – obviously – so I didn't give you my name. Big deal." She was pacing backstage, and the stagehands were staring at us. Her arms flailed as she screamed making her quite the spectacle.

"You don't think you could've mentioned it once we started sleeping together? Or did you not find that important?" I asked her as we stood inches apart, our breathing getting pretty heavy.

"I was going to tell you after this convention was over. After you told me you – you know, loved me, I was coming clean as soon as I got back home." Bella Marie said the last statement with her head down, looking suddenly at the floor. Boy, she was good.

"Right. I just bet you were." I walked away from her because this really hurt. Being this close to her, both of us lying to each other after everything we've been through, but most all, her working with James to bring me down was a dagger to the heart. I suddenly wondered if she knew about my drug business.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I really am, but you have to know it wasn't to intentionally hurt you. None of this has been to intentionally hurt you. Hell, I didn't even know it WAS you," she mumbled. She sat down on a vacant chair, her head in her hands. I noticed her body started to shake a little. She was crying for God's sakes! Tears started dropping on the floor, and sobs were coming out of her. Motherfucker. James had hired an actress for God's sakes!

"What are you crying for? You got what you wanted, didn't you?" Damn, I really needed to hold it together because now was not the time to fuck this up. I had to play her game if I was ever going to get to James.

"I don't know why I'm so emotional. This is all fucked up. It wasn't supposed to happen this way . . ." the last part came out garbled, and I wasn't sure I heard her correctly.

"What?"

"Nothing. I think I'm just in shock. Why couldn't you tell me who you were? It would've made things a whole lot easier."

"Easier to do what, Bella? Marie? I don't even know what the fuck to call you anymore!" I threw my hands up, screaming out in the process.

She looked up at me with a very serious look on her face. "It doesn't matter what you call me. We can't see each other anymore." And with that said, she got up and walked toward me, tears still running down her cheeks. She touched my face with the back of her hand, slowly rubbing down my jaw line. She leaned in, kissing my lips ever so gently as I tasted the saltiness from her tears.

Then she turned and walked away.

XXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**A/N: Whew! I think that was one of my longest chapters yet. I'm so very sad I only have sixty reviews; I read other stories with thousands of reviews and I'm sitting here wondering how the hell that happens. They must pimp the shit out of their stuff. Anyway, if you happened to like this chapter, please let me know. It'll make me have a great new year! **


	24. Chapter 24

**Now for Bella's point of view of them meeting each other for the first time. It's gettin' good now. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and I always appreciate more! Now, on with the show . . . **

**Chapter 23 – What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas**

BPOV

I looked down at my watch while Emmett shouted orders at the crew. Eight fifteen at night and still no Mr. Masen. What a shock. This man can't even step foot in his own building to check in every once in a while, so why would I think he'd make it to one of his company's most important events of the year?

"Ricky, here's the track I need you to play when Marie and Edward first walk in. All the others are marked and are to be switched out with each turn of the car." Emmett definitely knew the way he wanted this show to go, sparing no expense or detail. I appreciated that fact and could see how this company got to where it is now.

One of the neat things about our showcase was the cool turntable C&M paid big bucks for. There were three cars per turntable, and Emmett had three of them installed in our showroom, which meant I had nine cars to talk about in fine detail tomorrow – probably by myself.

"The lighting for the black and silver cars is blue and soft white; for the love of God, don't use yellow on those, or I will fire your ass, Juan. The yellow and red lights are used on the gold, champagne and metallic red only," Emmett yelled, his face glowing red.

Juan nodded, adjusting the lighting accordingly while positioned on one of the tallest ladders I think I'd ever seen. While standing beneath the ladder to watch him switch the lighting gels, my equilibrium was thrown off, making me suddenly dizzy. The lights were making me sweat a little too as my hair started clinging to my neck. I needed to sit down because a wave of nausea was coming over me, making me grab a chair and sit in the corner away from the hot lights.

Emmett came over toward me at that moment, taking one look and snorted. "You look like shit! Are you all right? You're as pale as a ghost."

I knew I didn't feel all that great, but I didn't think it showed on the outside until his lovely comment. "I just got a little dizzy from looking up at the lights. I'll be fine. Could you hand me one of those brochures over there? I just want to fan myself for a minute."

"Sure." Emmett came back after a couple minutes, handing me the brochure and a glass of ice water. "Here, drink this; it'll help with the nerves."

"Excuse me?"

"It's okay to be nervous, Marie. I was nervous my first time speaking at a showcase. Once you start though, it gets better." Emmett chuckled and left, going over to one of the crew to check out the audio.

It didn't even dawn on me that I'd be nervous to do this speech tomorrow. Hell, I'd given hundreds of talks before; most of them were in the field of law enforcement though once I thought about it. Many women's groups hired me for self defense clinics, and the FBI loaned me out for the annual NRA conventions as a keynote speaker, and I'd never felt like this. Strange.

Another round of nausea fell over me, this time making me run to the nearest trashcan as fast as my heels would take me. I heaved my dinner into it, embarrassed to look around and see who witnessed the atrocious event.

Thankfully, I had a tissue in my pocket which I used to wipe my mouth. Ugh. I felt like death, but I had to make it through this rehearsal. It had been the third time this week I'd thrown up; I'd struck the other two times to the bad sushi I'd eaten. I guess Emmett was right; this showcase really was getting the best of my nerves.

"Em, I'm going to the bathroom. Mr. Masen isn't here anyway, so I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Okay. By the way, Edward's not making it tonight. Something important came up, so I'm filling in for him," Em shouted at me over his shoulder while hooking some cables together.

Why doesn't that surprise me? I made my way to the restroom, throwing cold water on my face and then swishing some in my mouth.

The rehearsal went pretty well even though Mr. Macho couldn't find it in him to show up; I couldn't imagine what the hell was so fucking important he'd miss it, but I was tired of second guessing that man.

My heels were the first thing to come off once I arrived back into my room. I walked sluggishly into the bathroom to draw myself a bath, wishing I had a masseuse at the moment. Before I could undress, my phone went off with Charlie's theme song.

"Hey, Charlie. I hope you're calling me with some good news."

"How's it going, Bells? Vegas treating you well?" Charlie seemed to have a sixth sense or something when it came to my well being.

"I've been better. I think I've gotten a case of the nerves. I'm speaking first thing tomorrow morning in front of several potential clients, and my body is betraying me right now."

Charlie laughed a little before answering. "That's not like you. You never get nervous speaking in front of people."

"Yeah, I know, but I guess I feel a little out of my league. I'm becoming comfortable learning all about these exotic cars and such, but to be under all the lights and glamour of it is getting the best of me."

"Well, I've called with good news. Those bugs you installed in Emmett's house are coming back with some pretty interesting details. It sounds like there's a change of leadership going on; Mr. Masen is backing off the business, handing it all over to Cullen and some guy named Jasper. We don't have a last name on the guy yet, but we're working on it."

I dipped my foot into the too hot water of the tub at the same time Charlie told me about Mr. Masen. I gasped, raising my foot out of the water immediately.

"He's doing what? Why is he suddenly backing out of the business? I thought he enjoyed being King Drugpin?"

"Apparently, he's found the right woman and wants to make his life straight and narrow or some bullshit like that. Ironic, huh?" Charlie hated this man as much as I did, so we needed to pin this bust down before Mr. Suddenly Righteous backed out.

"I guess we'd better start moving quickly then, huh? Just as I figured he didn't show up to rehearsal, so I haven't even seen this man yet. So much for my seducing him, huh?" I laughed while gathering up my nerve to sit in the steamy bath. My body needed this for the stress relief apparently, and it would be soothing, especially for my poor stiletto-defiled feet.

"It probably would still work. I hear the man doesn't commit to anyone or anything as he cares for no one but himself. I'm sure it's a setup, so he can probably run his partners out or something like that. He'll stab them in the back when they least expect it. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks, you can be back here in your own home. Between the information we've got from the hard drives and those wiretaps, we're a week away from nailing these bastards. They've got a shipment coming in next week according to one of Mr. Cullen's files which means we now have a specific location and some names. Once we catch those guys and they snitch, you're free to come back and take a couple weeks off."

I leaned my head back on the edge of the tub, using one of those inflatable pillows to cushion the hardness. After all the months of working at C&M, learning the aspects of the car business and socializing with the people who worked there, I was going to miss it. I didn't usually get so attached to a place where I was working undercover, knowing if I laid down ties it would be hard to leave. However, I did just that, not only with the business but with a man − a man whose life was here in Miami where he grew up and had friends. I don't think he has any family though; at least none of which seemed to be alive.

"That's great," I mumbled unenthusiastically, which took the notice of my father.

"What's wrong, Bella. I can tell something's bothering you. Is something going wrong with the operation I don't know about?"

"No, nothing like that. I know I'm not supposed to make friends or get too emotionally involved, but most of the people at C&M are great; in fact, Emmett's really a pleasure to work with. It's just a shame he got involved in all this illegal stuff. It's sad to think about what happened to him to make him get into such a business. Maybe it was all Mr. Masen's doing or something. Anyway, I'll snap out of it. I'm feeling a little under the weather, but I'm sure it'll pass once this convention is over." The warm bathwater felt so good on my body; I was glad I poured the bath oil in it too.

"You know the rules, dear. Don't get close to anyone while you're working; especially romantically, or we'll have big problems on our hands. Now, I'll be touching base with you tomorrow morning on what we find on those encrypted files. Our guys almost got it deciphered, and when they do, we're hoping to find the storage locations of where they stash their drugs. Once you get back from Vegas, you can go down and check it out."

"Sure thing, dad. Talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay, baby. Take care and good luck tomorrow." Charlie hung up, and I laid my phone on the side of the tub.

_Don't get too close to anyone while you're working; especially romantically _. . . How can I let him know I fell for someone while I was on an assignment? I broke the cardinal rule, FBI class 101: "Never get involved with anyone while undercover . . ."

At least Edward didn't work for C&M, not that it mattered. He still lived here, and I still had to move back to Washington. However, I hoped it was possible to work something out with him, given that he would forgive me for lying to him. Once I told him why I had to keep up the charade all this time, I'm sure he'd understand that I was just doing my job.

My stomach growled suddenly, making me realize I threw up my dinner earlier. I was hungry, starving actually, but I was too tired to do anything about it. Rising out of the tub, I grabbed my towel while yawning at the same time. I decided to raid the mini-bar, grabbing a soda and some peanut butter crackers which tasted pretty damn good right now. The bed looked mighty comfortable as I settled in with my notes for the big show which was obviously making my body a nervous wreck.

**. . .**

As I walked off the elevator, I felt ten feet tall. I'd never worn stilettos this high in my life, and I really didn't think I'd make it to our convention hall without falling on my ass. Nonetheless, I managed to make my way right outside the entrance when I caught the smell of something delicious. Off to my right was a Cinnabon stand which made my mouth water so bad I couldn't wait another minute. I hadn't had my coffee yet either, so with an hour to kill, I decided to grab a bite to eat. While I sat there eating the most delicious cinnamon pecan roll ever, Emmett came up to me, taking a seat across my table and sitting down.

"I see you're feeling better. Ready for today?" Emmett started to reach for a bite of my roll, and I swatted his hand.

"Get your own. This one's mine," I said with my mouth half full, but I fully meant it. I might even get another one these were so good.

"Geez, don't be so grumpy. I'll get my own. Is there any last minute things you want to go over?" Emmett started standing up, turning to get in the fast growing line.

"No, I think I'm good. Nerves are all gone, by the way. Hey, could you get me another cinnamon pecan roll? These things are awesome!" I took another sip of my coffee and finished up the last bite of my roll when Emmett returned with my second one.

"Here you go, little piggy." Emmett chuckled while sitting his burly self down, shoving the new roll in front of me. I eagerly took it, tearing off a piece and stuffing it in my mouth.

"I resent that statement. Changing the subject, I saw our competitors' cars, and I have to admit, ours are much better. By the way, is Mr. Masen blessing us with his presence today? Or am I going solo again?"

"He promised he'd be here, and he will. I'm so excited about this show, you don't even know. I've walked around and seen a lot of wealthy people out here just itching to buy. Did you see that pack of black suits out there by Hall D? They're from a Dallas oil company, and word has it they're in the market for our Maserati GranTurismo's – all for their top new VP's. By the way, that would be thirty cars they're looking to buy. I'm totally psyched about that!"

While Emmett kept rattling on about the cars, my stomach started hurting. I could feel my breakfast coming up quickly. What the hell was wrong with me? Damn, I knew I shouldn't have eaten that second cinnamon roll, but I was so hungry. I started looking around for the closest bathroom, ignoring Emmett while standing up with my hand over my mouth.

"Where are you going? You're looking a little green . . ." Emmett asked while taking a drink of his coffee.

"Gotta run. I'll meet you on stage by ten, okay?" I almost couldn't hold it in, and I ran for my life toward the restroom in these horrendous heels. Making it just in time, I heaved over the toilet, flushing it as soon as I finished. This was so ridiculous. I woke up calm as a cucumber, but as the time neared, I guess my body decided otherwise.

It was only nine-fifteen, so I needed to find a kiosk that sold some chewing gum to get this awful taste out of my mouth. There was one off to my left when I came out of the bathroom, which was a relief. Just as I started walking, I had a strange feeling I was being followed which was odd, because I knew there were tons of people here, so I had to be imagining things. The kiosk was a little busy, and as I waited to pay for my gum, I just knew someone was stalking me. I turned to look around, but didn't see anything or anyone staring at me out of the ordinary which made me think I was getting paranoid along with my nervousness.

I paid for the gum and was right outside the convention hall stage when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Assuming it was Alice or Emmett, I twisted around to say hello. Much to my surprise, it wasn't either one of them, but the person I least expected to see right in front of me, and in Las Vegas of all places.

"Well, hello, sweet thing," James words rang out loudly in my head which stopped me dead in my tracks.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I couldn't believe this lunatic was here. He has had me followed all the way to Vegas; now I knew for sure he was a sicko.

"Is that any way to treat your ex, sugar? My, you've grown up to be quite a lovely young lady. You're dressed a little too slutty for my taste, but you're still looking good. What brings you to this neck of the woods?" James looked me up and down, his eyes stopping at my chest which made my skin crawl. He looked quite a bit older, but had the same dirty blonde hair. When I saw him at The Rose Club that night, he had it pulled back then, but he was at least clean shaven there. Now, he was scruffy and his clothes unkempt like he had been sleeping in his car or something.

"Obviously you know damn well what I'm doing here. You've had me followed, you asshole! Why are you stalking me?" I'd had enough of this sick fucker, and it was time he went down. I knew time was ticking, and I was needed up on the stage in a few short minutes, but I wanted to hear what he had to say for himself.

"What makes you think I'm following you? Can't a guy enjoy a nice car show? Last I heard, this car show was open to the public. It's pure luck that I ran in to you, beautiful. How long has it been now?"

James obviously thought I wanted to make small talk. I wondered if he knew I worked for C&M. The good news was he couldn't come into the convention hall for the presentation because that was only for clients that had a special pass. It was true the public could visit the main show where all the cars were on display, so what the hell was he doing back here?

"Look, I'm very busy, but I want you to know I'm sick and tired of your games. Quit following me, and tell your lackey's to do the same, or I'll call the police on your ass and have you thrown in jail for harassment. Got it?" I stuck my finger in his face, then his chest, hoping he'd understood I meant business.

"I'm just curious in your choice of boyfriends, Ms. Swan. You don't keep very good company."

The Mission:Impossible theme song came on which made me jump a little because I forgot Charlie was going to call. No way was I answering that with James standing in front of me, so I silenced it quickly. "Why do you care who I date, James? You're still not jealous after all these years are you?"

C&M's name was being called on the loud speaker which prompted me to end this ridiculous conversation. I did need to find out where James was staying, however, because I needed him to stop the stalking among other things. There was one question I wanted to ask him before we parted ways though. "It looks like you've been pretty busy since we left college. Since when did you start a gang?"

The look on his face went from a smirk to surprise. "What are you talking about, Bella? I'm not in a gang. You're the one who needs to be worried, especially hanging out with Edward and all. He's the bad one, not me."

I was in shock. How the hell did he know Edward? I knew he'd been tailing me, but he acted like he knew him or something. "Hmm. Well, you'll definitely have to tell me more then. Is there somewhere we can meet later? I'd like to know more about the information you have on him – if he's as dangerous as you say he is." It seemed like it was the only way I'd get his whereabouts, so I'd play along if it would get me what I wanted. Besides, I really needed to go.

"Oh, I'll be in touch, dear." And with that being said, he picked my hand up and kissed it. I dashed away quickly, knowing our name was being called while wiping my hand off on my dress.

**. . .**

Making my way onstage, I introduced myself and then made a lame excuse for why Mr. Masen wasn't here – yet again − when suddenly another voice on the microphone came in the direction to my right.

I knew that voice anywhere. There, standing directly across from me, was Edward talking about the Fisker Karma, and not only was I shocked at seeing him in Vegas, but now he was onstage with me at this convention. What the hell was going on?

Then, he turned, looked straight at me and called me Ms. Dwyer. This was bad – like really, really bad. It slowly dawned on me that Edward Anthony and Edward Masen were one in the same. I couldn't believe I'd been so stupid. What have I done? I wanted to run off that stage so fast and just bury myself. I'd fallen in love with a known criminal, not only that, but one I was trying to put behind bars. Fucking hell!

He knew my alias. The only thing I could think of was he saw me with Emmett. But when? Dammit! Now I really am going to throw up. My heart felt like it was in my throat, and I could feel the tears building up in my eyes. I kept blinking them back, swallowing the extra saliva in my throat that had gathered there due to the shock my system had just taken.

"This Fisker Karma is the latest in sports luxury, giving only the elitist of the elite the most luxurious, comfortable ride of their lives. If you would put one of these babies if your window, sheiks and CEO's would be beating down your door!" Edward kept talking like it was second nature to him, the shock of seeing me in front of him not bothering him in the slightest. Had he been playing me all this time?

Then, he blurts out sarcastic remarks about me which really pissed me off. The only thing I could do was retaliate with my own rebuttal which I knew was totally unprofessional, but I didn't care. How dare he humiliate me in front of everyone by insinuating I was a whore? Of all the nerve! If anyone should be angry, it was me. There was no way he could know I was undercover; I had hid that well, but how long had he known my undercover name without telling me – and why?

Somehow we got through the showcase, and my head was throbbing. He took off backstage with me following behind him hot on his heels.

"You're Edward MASEN? What the hell? You don't think you could've brought that up at some point in our relationship?" My face felt flushed, dreading this conversation.

"Fucking excuse me, Ms. DWYER? I can ask you the same damn question!" His voice echoed throughout the area, causing people to stare in our direction.

I had to think fast, so I gave him the most logical explanation I could. "That's totally different, and you know it. The only reason I didn't give you my real name the first time we met was because I didn't know you. If you recall, we just bumped into each other in a lingerie store dressing room for God's sakes. I had no idea who you were – obviously, so I didn't give you my name. Big deal."

He really wasn't buying it, and I couldn't blame him. I could've mentioned it to him, but I knew why I didn't. I guess this blew away my hopes of us ever getting together after this assignment.

I knew what had to happen next. I had to let him go. He was going to be arrested soon and unfortunately, I'd be the one to do it – and that was going to break my heart. This needed to end now before I made it any harder on myself. "Edward, I'm sorry. I really am, but you have to know it wasn't to intentionally hurt you. None of this has been to intentionally hurt you. Hell, I didn't even know it WAS you!" I cried out, my body and heart betraying me. If only he knew how bad I didn't want this to be true.

I found the nearest chair, plopping myself down in it, my head cradling itself into my shaky hands. My body started shaking, and I could feel the bile rising up in my throat. Now I knew why I was nauseous; I had just found the love of my life only to find out he would soon be going to jail, and I'd be the one putting him there.

"What are you crying for? You got what you wanted, didn't you?"

"I don't know why I'm so emotional. This is all fucked up. It wasn't supposed to happen this way . . ." I mumbled this last sentence out, hoping he didn't hear me.

"What?" I'd never seen Edward mad like this; it was scary and sexy at the same time.

"Nothing. I think I'm just in shock. Why couldn't you tell me who you were? It would've made things a whole lot easier."

"Easier to do what, Bella? Marie? I don't even know what the fuck to call you anymore!" Edward screamed out, throwing his hands up in the air and walking away from me.

This was all kinds of messed up; first James shows up out of nowhere, and now Edward is not at all who I thought he was. Wait a minute. James said something about my boyfriend and the company I'm keeping. He obviously knew Edward was Edward Masen which is very strange. James had been tailing the both of us, but why? Now that I know the real Edward, he probably owed Edward money for drugs or something like that.

I came back to reality by Edward's hard stares directed straight at me. His face said it all; he felt betrayed as much as I did. I might as well get this over with now.

"It doesn't matter what you call me. We can't see each other anymore." My heart was breaking, but I knew what I had to do. Walking over toward him, I touched his face ever so slowly and brought my hand down toward his jaw. I leaned into him, gently kissing his lips while tears fell down from my face. After walking away, I swallowed down the bile creeping up again and caught the closest elevator I could find.

All kinds of thoughts were running through my head as I heard the sounds of the elevator as I passed each floor. When it arrived to my floor, I staggered out, walking in a daze. Finding my hotel key in my purse, I slid it in the door and threw myself inside the room. I felt as if my insides were all twisted around, and the tears came even harder as I made my way inside the bathroom. The last remains of whatever was left in my stomach fought its way up, and I leaned over the toilet yet again, dry heaving because I knew I had nothing left to come up.

Suddenly my hotel phone rang, so I gingerly got up on my feet. I ran the water to wash my hands, and then went to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Marie, is that you? You don't sound very good. I called to check on you because there's rumors flying around that you and Edward had a big fight backstage. Is that true?" Alice talked a mile a minute, and for some reason I forgot she made the trip with us. My mind was all over the place right now.

"Uh, yeah we argued a bit. It's nothing for you to worry about though. We're fine now." My voice was deep and gravelly, indicating my earlier crying fit not to mention my bouts of throwing up.

"That's bullshit. I'm coming up right now." Alice hung up, and I knew she wasn't going to take no for answer anyway.

Five minutes later, she was knocking at my door. I couldn't tell her too much, but I really needed a friend right now. This job made it nearly impossible for me to have many friends, but I had to have a shoulder to cry on or I'd lose it completely.

I let her in, and immediately she took me in her arms, giving me a huge bear hug. My eyes were stinging which I'm sure they were all puffy and red too. She pulled herself away from me and started surveying the damage.

"Okay, Marie. I'm not going to lie. Some of the stagehands are my friends, and they sort of told me what happened. I have to say I'm really confused about this whole thing. So, wanna clear it up for me?"

I had no desire to clear anything up for her, but Alice was relentless. Here we go again. More lies coming out of my mouth. It was pretty effortless for me, which I was used to, but Alice had become my friend, and it killed me to lie to her all the time.

"What'd you hear exactly?"

"Something about Edward calling you Bella and you not knowing who the hell he was either. I'm going to make an educated guess here. Please tell me that Edward Masen is not the one who called you on the plane before we left, confessing his undying love for you."

My sad, bloodshot eyes looked up at her slowly, and she blew out a puff of air while running her hands through her hair. "Oh, this is bad, Marie. You do know who you fell in love with right?"

"Alice, you know I didn't know who he was. He was the guy I bumped into at the lingerie store all those months ago, hence the alias I gave him." Here come the lies again. "He was smooth, I'll give him that. However, he was compassionate, gentle just easy to be with. We had the most fun, and I fell for him. I'm not going to lie to you."

"Marie, Edward Masen is a player. Remember me telling you about the number of women he's had, especially here in Vegas? He never settles down with anyone. Ever. I've known him for a few years, and he is nice and all, but he's got an edge to him. He never lets anyone get close to him which is why I'm wondering how the two of you got this far."

My stomach started growling making me remember it was past lunchtime. I was starving, so I got up to grab a room service menu. "He's not like that with me. It's true he isn't the most open person, but I'm the same way to an extent. We've had some really great times, and I felt he was starting to open up, but it doesn't matter now. We're through."

Alice put her hand up to my face, touching me under my eyes. "You look awfully pale, and you've got dark circles under your eyes. Are you drinking enough water? When did you eat last?"

"I had breakfast, but I'm going to order something now. Are you hungry?"

"Sure, order me a hamburger and fries. Marie, you know if the two of you really care for each other, and he's falling in love with you like he says, then what's the big deal? Just go for it. All I'm saying is to be careful. He's got quite the reputation, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

While Alice was talking, I picked up the phone, dialing room service to order our food.

"That's precisely why I told him I can't see him anymore. I know that now. I'll be fine; I just need to take a couple of days to rest, that's all."

"He doesn't want to see you either? Did he say that?"

"I don't know what he wants. I didn't really stay to find out." I lay back on the bed with my head hitting the pillow. "Alice, how well do you know Edward personally? I mean, other than who he sleeps with, that is."

"Edward's a pretty introverted guy. He holds a lot of his emotions in, but he's always been nice to me. Emmett thinks the world of him; they've been like brothers since they were little."

Hearing Emmett's name, I suddenly remembered everything he told me about Edward on the plane. Edward was head over heels in love with someone and was willing to give up everything for her. Charlie had said he heard the same thing when he deciphered the bugs.

I rose up out of the bed, hyperventilating. Now I knew what that meant; he was willing to give up the drug business for me. Tears started flowing out of my eyes again when reality hit me like a ton of bricks. My chest started heaving in and out; I'd never let anyone or anything ever get to me like this, but then again, I'd never been in this situation before.

Alice ran over to me, her arm draping around my shoulders. "Marie, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

My head nodded letting her know I was fine, but deep down, I knew I never would be. The worst of it was he wanted to change his life around for me, and I was only here to send him to jail. There was no way I thought I could ever fall in love with a drug lord, but somehow it happened, and I had no idea what to do about it. My heart told me one thing while my head told me another.

I finally got my breathing in control when Alice moved in front of me, grabbing my hands and looking me straight in the face.

"Something else is going on here. What has you so upset?"

There was nothing more I wanted to do than open up and tell her everything, but I knew I couldn't.

"It's nothing I can't handle. Thank you for being here with me though. How mad is Emmett that the showcase didn't go as planned? When Edward and I realized who the other was, and the deceitfulness that had taken place, the whole script went out the window. He was really hurt; so much so that he started saying some hateful things which made me counteract with my own lies. It was really bad."

"That was the other reason I called you. Emmett had no idea what was going on between the two of you, and I heard he started freaking out when you guys started word sparring onstage. The lighting guys were all confused because the blocking was all wrong which made you guys have shadows on all sides. But the most remarkable thing that happened was the aftermath. When you two left the stage, the crowd erupted, obviously loving the heated banter between you two. Emmett got bombarded with so many offers for the two of you to host their showcases, he couldn't keep track of them."

"What? Are you kidding me? We were terrible up there! All we did was one up the other and try to make each other look bad. It was a total disaster."

"On the contrary, Emmett's fielding offers right and left. He wants to meet with the two of you right away. He's got the Audi and Porsche folks lined up to buy a dozen cars already, and with the two of you at the helm, Emmett says the sky's the limit. I was so excited to tell you the news, but in light of everything you just told me, now I'm not so sure."

The knock on the door interrupted my thoughts on just how bad of an idea that would be. I was starving and eating was a way to forget my worries for a few minutes. The food smelled wonderful, and I tipped the guy before shutting the door and making my way over to clear off the table.

I couldn't believe those companies were interested in our constant bickering onstage earlier. Now it appeared I'd have to endure working even closer with him when all I wanted to do was to run as far away as I could and forget Edward Masen ever existed.

XXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**A/N: Thanks to those of you who gave me all those wonderful reviews last time. It warmed my heart! Now that these two finally know who the other is (well, at least Edward thinks he does!) what happens next? It only gets more mysterious after this, so stay tuned! Reviews are greatly appreciated . . . **


	25. Chapter 25

**Stephenie Meyers owns Twilight - I just own this story. Many thanks to my betas Ange and Kirsten!**

**Rated M for a reason ;) Please don't read if it offends you.**

**Chapter 24 – Touch and Go**

EPOV

It was late on a Monday afternoon, and since I was flying back to the east coast, I'd lost a couple of hours. The first thing I was going to do in the morning was head over to that damn cemetery. When I checked online for the operational hours, the office closed by three o'clock in the afternoon for some reason, making my visit over there a moot point. I knew Jasper wouldn't be there, but hopefully Aro Tanner's gravestone was. A lot of emotions were running through me because if I did find it, it was possible my mother was out there suffering somewhere; that is, if she hadn't died of an overdose already.

All these years had passed, but my mother's memory was still an open wound for me. Could I have done something to save her? Why didn't I keep her away from that madman before things got too far?

I had to stop thinking about it, or I'd lose my mind. Tomorrow was another day, and hopefully I'd get some answers. After my plane touched down, Emmett had a limo waiting for me which gave me time to contemplate my next move. The search for Jasper had been going on for a few days now; my best guys were on it, but so far, nothing had turned up in proving any clues on his whereabouts. I was pretty exhausted from the three hour flight, so my bed was calling my name.

The limo pulled into my driveway, and I saw Emmett's car sitting there. Great, just what I needed. He got out greeting me and grabbing one of my suitcases while talking at the same time. I knew what he was going to say; I'd heard it for the last few days which made being around him pretty intolerable as of late.

"How was your flight?"

I mumbled that it was fine as we climbed up my porch stairs.

"You wouldn't believe it unless you were there to hear it, man. They loved you guys. They compared it to an old episode of 'Moonlighting.' Have you given it any thought yet? C'mon, Edward. It's a great opportunity for us. So, whad'ya say?" Emmett asked me as he paced around my living room table.

I had been home all of one minute now, and he was trying to persuade me to work with Bella Marie. I hadn't talked to her since our argument backstage, but I knew she was back at C&M. There wasn't a waking moment when I hadn't thought about her and that rotten Jimmy Tanner screwing me behind my back. To think I pledged my undying love to her too; I was such a complete idiot.

I sat my luggage down inside the front door toying with the idea of pushing Emmett out of it. "Em, you do know she's conspiring against us, probably to overtake our company with Jimmy, right? She's been working with him all this time to get in my good graces, not to mention getting in my pants too. She's our mortal enemy now, and all you can think of is getting the two of us together – for what exactly?"

"Listen to me, Edward. We don't know for sure if she's in cahoots with James or not. What I do know is she has worked hard for our company bringing us in a couple million dollars worth of business. We have offers from four different companies asking for you two to host their next conventions, and once everyone knows you're from C&M, our company will skyrocket in sales. We wouldn't just be known in the south, but all over the nation; possibly internationally. We can take C&M public!"

My heart wasn't in the business anymore; hell, it wasn't anywhere. I couldn't give a damn about anything except finding Jasper. He was my first priority; that and finding James so I could shoot him dead.

"What's that saying about keep your friends close and your enemies closer? I believe you also told me you were going to keep a close eye on Marie so she could lead you to James. What happened to that idea?" Emmett walked into my kitchen, opening up the refrigerator to scrounge for food as usual.

It was time to tell Emmett that Marie and Bella were one in the same. I sat him down, spilling my guts about her, letting him know how devastated I was when I saw her and Jimmy together.

"I'm still not ready to be around her yet. I've got our security detail on her to see if she meets up with him. So far, there's no word on them hooking up." My hands ran through my hair as I sat down on the barstool next to the kitchen counter. "How could I be so far off base with her? I really liked this girl, and she took my heart out of my chest and stomped the hell out of it."

Emmett went back over to the refrigerator and pulled out some lunchmeat, cheese and mustard and began to make himself a sandwich. After making the largest one I'd ever seen, he took a huge bite and sat down next to me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"If it's any consolation, she had us all fooled. She's a pretty good actress, I'll give her that. I pegged her for a smart cookie but to get mixed in with a scumbag like that . . . he must be promising her something really good. Speaking of which, if she is working with him, she has to know where Jasper is. I'm telling you, Ed, you need to go to her. Play her like you think she's playing you. Get close to her, sleep with her again, hell read her texts while she's taking a shower. Do what you need to do to get our buddy back."

Em's absolutely right. I needed to suck it up and put on my acting face just like she had done with me. Evidently, she didn't have a problem bedding me, leading me on and even telling me she loved me too. Bella Marie better watch out because here I come, and there's no time like the present.

**. . .**

It had been a very long time since I set foot in the C&M building which was apparent when most of the employees cranked their necks around to look at me. Emmett thought I was here to make good with Bella Marie, so he let me use his office since he had a business trip planned to the Caribbean. We had quite a few shipments coming in over the next few weeks, and we couldn't afford for anything to go wrong, so he offered his services, for which I was grateful.

Stepping off the elevator, I pulled down on my shirt sleeves making sure I looked my best. My navy blue Armani suit screamed sex appeal which I had counted on to win Bella Marie over. She had left so suddenly in Vegas, and although I knew why I didn't want to see her anymore, I didn't know why she couldn't see me. What difference did it make that I was part owner in C&M?

I was proud of what Emmett and I had accomplished in the short time this company had originated, so I had nothing to be ashamed of. Did she have regrets about what James was making her do? Nothing really made sense, but I was about to find out.

Alice was the first one to greet me as she saw me coming down the corridor.

"Wow. I'd never believe it unless I saw it with my own two eyes. Edward Masen actually steps foot in his own building. It's a miracle." Alice walked up to me, giving me a big hug.

We talked for a few minutes, and I could tell there was something she wanted to ask me.

"Spit it out, Alice. I can tell you're dying to ask me something. What's on your mind?" I asked her as I sat down on the corner of her desk, taking a look around for a certain someone.

"You can't fool me, Edward. I know why you're here; you want to see her as much as she wants to see you."

"Excuse me? I'm not here to see her. Emmett asked me to come in here and check on things for him while he's away on a business trip. He actually had to arm wrestle me, and unfortunately I lost, so here I am."

"Uh-huh. She's denying it too. She's in her office if you want to see her. Make something up if you have to, but I don't see what the big deal is. You two are a piece of work." Alice sighed as she sat down in her chair, wheeling it around back toward her keyboard to start typing.

Alice was very insightful, but she didn't know the real reason I was here. It definitely wasn't to see her in the way she thought. I would be here to watch every step she made because I knew she'd slip up at some point. She'd lead me to Jimmy, I knew that for sure.

I stood up, smoothing out my jacket and braced myself for this conversation. I had to put on my best face when all I wanted to do was find Jasper and my mother alive. I swear if Bella Marie had anything to do with my mother, I'd kill her with my bare hands. Deep down, I really didn't believe she did, but I had to keep remembering her with James and him kissing her hand before she left. It really made my blood boil.

Taking a deep breath, I put my hand on the doorknob of her office door. Before I turned it, Alice spoke up.

"Oh, Edward, can you take it easy on her? She hasn't been feeling all that well since we got back from Vegas. I think she's caught a flu bug or something."

"Uh, sure." My body tensed up for some reason; making me think she had this odd sense of control over me. That was about to end. "Hey, Alice? Please hold Ms. Sw-, I mean Ms. Dwyers's phone calls, please."

I barged right in her office without waiting for a reply. Shielding the door with my body, I gently locked the door behind me. She was leaning against her desk, pencil in mouth, and her glasses halfway down her nose. Her hair was up in a bun, but some pieces of hair had fallen out and were curled up next to her ears. Damn, I hated when she had that librarian look; this was going to be tough.

Alice was right about her being sick though. She looked quite pale and thin, just like I noticed in Vegas, and she had lost a few pounds. Bella peered up at me over her drooping glasses, and I could see the dark circles under her eyes. Looks like someone else wasn't getting any sleep either. Her eyebrows rose up from seeing me standing in her doorway, and she immediately pushed her glasses up her nose, taking the pencil out of her mouth to speak.

"Mr Masen . . . wow, I didn't expect to see you here. This is quite a surprise."

It appeared she was in the same mood she left with me in Vegas, hence the formality.

"Yeah, I decided to keep a closer eye on things around here – especially since Emmett's away on a business trip." I figured I might as well be blunt with her, letting her know who was boss around here, and that I wasn't planning on taking any bullshit from her.

She saw right through me. Giving me the once over, she finally spoke. "I see. You don't trust me. I can't blame you, seeing how I've not been honest with you. However, I can say the same about you. A bit hypocritical, aren't we?" She moved slowly around her desk, taking the pencil from her hand and putting it behind her ear. Why did that gesture make her look so damn sexy?

I decided to play this cool, being the arrogant fucker that I was, and slicked back my hair with my fingers and walked right up to her. We were inches apart when I spoke. "Look, let's cut to the chase here, shall we? We don't trust one another, but we're going to have to work together. Don't you think we can get along and be professionals?" My hand touched her right shoulder, and I let the back of my fingers slowly slide down her arm. I knew she was definitely a professional; at what I wasn't sure yet, but I'd find out if it killed me.

She shivered at my touch; her eyes closing as her breathing sped up. I could tell she had some feelings there which confused me even more. If I hadn't seen her with James, I wouldn't have given a shit about the alias because I pulled the same thing on her. This was different; Jimmy was my nemesis, and I'd be damned if I ever let him get the best of me.

Her eyes finally opened, right after I picked up her hand and brushed it up against my lips. The same hand that he had kissed just a week prior. Staring into my eyes, I could see the lust building up in them; we had been together enough times that I knew that look of desire.

"Please don't do that, Mr. Masen. It's not appropriate in the workplace, don't you agree – especially if we're going to be professionals? Your words, not mine, by the way. And I told you I can't see you anymore." If she knew Jimmy, I was pretty sure she knew about my organized crime ties along with my drug rings, so why would she give me up so quickly?

With that being said, she took her hand away and moved toward her chair, but I was having none of it. I grabbed her arm, spinning her around and with my lips right up against her ear I whispered, "That's bullshit, and you know it."

She jerked her arm back, releasing my hold on her. Her hand reached up under my chin, pulling my face down and squeezing it ever so slightly while staring straight in my eyes. "I'm usually true to my word. Do you doubt my sincerity, Mr. Masen?"

Without looking away from her, I gently spoke, "I'm beginning to wonder if you have a sincere bone in that skinny body at all. What are you still doing here anyway? Because I don't believe you care one iota about this company let alone anything else besides yourself."

Within seconds, my right arm was twisted behind my back, my whole body slamming down hard against her desk. The next thing I knew, she was pulling my hair back, forcing my head to look forward right at her computer screen.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I barely got the words out of my mouth as I could hardly breathe in the position she had just put me in. For a small woman, I totally believed she could handle any size person that got in her way. She had me in an arm lock with her knee in my back, and I was totally immobilized from it.

"I want to show you something. Do you see that spreadsheet right there with over forty dealerships lined up on the left? In the next column, you will see their orders for the next two years along with our projected profits after the gross. I have been on the phone with these companies since day one, hammering out the deal of the century for us, and all you can say to me is that I don't care about this business?" Her words were coming out of her mouth loudly and with such conviction, she almost had me snowed.

My eyes scanned the spreadsheet on the screen; I recognized all the dealerships, some of which I had been trying to sell to for years but had not succeeded. How did she do it? The sales figures were anything but insignificant too. By these figures, we had stood to triple our profits within the next two years, sending us to the top of the luxury car chain.

I felt her grip loosen on my hair and her knee adjusting ever so slightly in my back, and that's when I decided to make my move.

My left foot hooked into hers, causing her to lose her balance and grab the side of the desk. Her hand no longer clenching my hair, I twisted my body around, grabbing her so that her back was pushed up against the desk, and I was now in control. The surprised look on her face said it all. I could tell she wasn't used to losing power over anyone, so it came as a shock I could hold my own against her.

"How does it feel now, Bella Marie? To finally lose control and have someone else hold the reigns over you is something you're not used to, I can tell." I took my foot and spread her legs apart, shifting my body between them and leaning over her.

"Let's get back to the issue at hand, shall we? You can't see me anymore because of . . . what? Because I'm your boss now?"

Her breathing was frantic, but her eyes still sparkled. I didn't give her a chance to answer. I scooped her up, smashing my lips to hers. My hands went to the back of her head, pulling out the hairpin to let her hair cascade down her shoulders. She responded by kissing me back too; weeks of sexual tension being released in a few short minutes. I pressed myself harder against her; the hardness in my crotch rubbing against right where she needed it. My hands moved down to the hem of her dress, feeling her thigh high stocking clips and ripping them off. She reached for my belt, unbuckling it as fast as she could while grazing her fingertips over my ever growing erection.

We stopped kissing long enough to catch our breath and for me to pull my pants down. With my boxers down, I could see her eyeing her prize as I pulled her panties over to the side. No need to mess with taking them off; it took too much time. Grabbing her legs to put them around my waist, I rammed into her as she cried out, her noises spurring me on to only go faster. She arched her back, meeting me thrust for thrust, while her heels dug into my back.

"Oh, God, yes! Don't stop. Please don't stop."

I had no intention of stopping; I was going to get as much pleasure out of this as I could. The feel of her body next to mine again was amazing even though I knew she was probably out to get me. Thoughts of her betrayal only made me drive into her faster like I was trying to fuck her out of my system or something. Not that it would help any.

I wanted to give her the illusion of us getting back together to gain her trust. Jimmy needed to be found which made this encounter all the more exciting. I'd screw her in more ways than one in the end.

Her hands grasped the side of the desk as she held on tight, knowing she was getting the ride of her life. I grabbed both of her legs, bending them close to her chest for a deeper angle. After watching our bodies connected, she leaned up, pulling my face closer to her.

"I've missed this so much. Feeling you so deep inside me is unlike anything I've ever felt before. I need you, Edward. I shouldn't feel this way, but I can't help it anymore." Right after those words came out of her mouth, she shivered, and I knew her orgasm was close.

Remembering who she was and who she worked for, I plunged into her as far as I could go, like I could magically fuck all my troubles away. I knew that wasn't possible, no matter how hard I wished it was true. I did tell this woman I loved her less than a week ago, and those feelings didn't just change overnight no matter how hard I wanted them to go away.

My hand moved over the neckline of her dress, pushing it aside. Her bra moved down as my hand yanked it as well, making her breast readily available for me to take in my mouth. Just as I took it in, sucking and licking her nipple, Bella screamed out, her body quivering against mine. Her walls clenched down around my cock, making me hit my orgasm as well. I leaned down kissing her swollen lips one more time before I pulled out of her. It was rough, needy and frantic, but we both craved it like nothing else in the world.

We laid there for a minute, catching our breaths and realizing what we had done in her office, no doubt, when reality set in about what had just occurred. I pulled up my pants while she fixed her dress when she spoke up.

"You can stop calling me Bella Marie. It's just Bella."

I finished tucking in my shirt when I asked her, "Is that your real name?"

She didn't acknowledge me one way or the other as she pulled out a mirror in her purse, fixing her makeup and putting her hair back up in a bun.

My suit looked decent as I saw my reflection in the mirror on the back of her door. I buttoned up my jacket as I stood and made my way out of her office. Deciding to play with her a little bit, I left her with something to remember me by.

"Nice work on those dealerships. It shows a lot of initiative on your part, and I'll make sure Emmett is notified immediately of your accomplishments. However, I need you to work late every night this week. Emmett told me we have quite the list of potential clients interested in us after the showcase which will require us to dig in our heels and work out the details of how we're going to handle all of them. I expect you to be here checking in with all of them to research their needs and requirements. I'm sure this won't be a problem for you."

After that, I turned around and left, shutting the door behind me.

I headed over to Emmett's office trying to get a handle of everything going on in my life when my cell phone blared that familiar ringtone I had longed to hear. Pulling my phone out of my pocket quickly, Jasper's name reflected on the caller ID, making me breathe a sigh of relief.

Trying not to sound too overjoyed because it could've been stolen, I let it ring a couple of times before I answered it.

"Hello?" My heartbeat pulsed so fast I thought I might pass out.

"Well, if it ain't my old buddy, Eddie boy. How's it goin' there, bro? Been sellin' a lot of cars lately?" If I thought my heartbeat was fast before, it was nothing compared to what it felt like now.

"What the fuck are you doing with Jasper's phone, you prick? Where is he, and what have you done with him?"

"My, my. Someone's awfully touchy and accusatory. What makes you think I've done anything with your sidekick, Batman? I just found this phone lying in a ditch and started dialing the numbers in the contact list. Funny thing though, your name was his I.C.E. number. How ironic is that?" Jimmy laughed hard in the phone which made me want to punch him all the more.

"What the fuck do you want from me? You've killed my best men, then my ex. Now, you've got my right hand. Apparently, I've got something you want so name your price." I slipped inside the closest door I could find which happened to be a storage closet so no one could hear my conversation with this lunatic.

"Hmm. Now what could Eddie Masen have that I would want. That's a very interesting question, and I'm so glad you asked it. First things first though. Remember when we were teenagers, and you were in need of some quick cash because your sorry excuse for a mother couldn't provide for you? Well, ole' Jimmy here, out of the kindness of his own heart, let you in on his little business so you could feed and clothe yourself. And how do you repay me? You go out and steal my business right out from under me. Now, I gotta tell you Eddie, I'd say I owe you big time. Whad'ya think?"

Fucking hell. I knew he had been pissed at me at first for taking over a few of his clients, but they kept calling me because he couldn't handle the load. He was the one who kept slipping up, missing drops and not collecting money on time. All these years, and he was harboring ill will over it still? What a fucking psycho!

"What is it you want, Jimmy? I'm not going to get in a tit for tat game. Just tell me what you want for me to get Jasper back. If you tell me he's dead already, I will hunt you down personally, and not only kill you, but everyone you hold dear. Trust me."

He had the gall to laugh for a few seconds before answering me. "That's quite ironic there, Ed. You see you and your family think you can just go and off anyone who doesn't give you what you want. Well, you've got another thing coming. Now I'm the one in charge here, and we're going to do things my way from now on. I'm calling the shots; not you, so here's the way it's going to work. I want everything you took from me and more. I will have your business; both of them, and everything you 'hold dear' because I have something you want. Your life will be made a living hell just as mine has been for the last ten years, so buckle up, Eddie boy, it's going to be a thrilling ride."

With that being said, the fucker hung up on me.

"Dammit!" I screamed out loud before I walked out of the closet. Jimmy was playing me like a fiddle while I sat by and did absolutely nothing. This was stopping now. I pulled out my phone calling the one source I knew would want him dead more than me.

"Hello?" Eleazer answered on the second ring.

"It's me. Edward. Listen, I know the man who killed Tanya. The problem is I don't know where to find him. He's here in Miami though, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to hunt him down and skin him alive. You with me?" Walking to Emmett's office, I closed the door behind me.

Eleazer didn't hesitate for one second. "The only thing I ask is you let me do the killing. How'd you find him?" For the first time since Tanya's death, his voice had a hint of excitement to it.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to keep that under wraps. Just trust me when I tell you I will stop at nothing to catch this prick. It's a long story; one I will promise to tell you about as soon as I can, but right now, we have to concentrate on finding him first. Can you round me up some men?"

I knew Eleazer had access to many henchmen during his years in the business. He could call in a few favors here and there. Together, we could build up an army to take Jimmy's soldiers down one by one, leaving the best for last.

"Okay, I'll take your word for it, Edward. Where do we start?" Eleazer asked as his voice picked up volume.

"Let's meet at our usual place down at the pier. I'll fill you in on everything then. Can you be there in an hour?" I asked him as I loosened my tie around my neck. Suddenly, the room got a bit warmer which I wasn't sure if it was the temperature or my blood pressure.

"Sure thing. I'll have a list of people ready for you along with some new surveillance equipment I've acquired."

"Great. I'll see you in an hour then."

"Hey, Edward?" he asked, pausing for a second.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for looking into this. I don't know how you did it, but we're one step closer to getting this asshole off the streets. I'm looking forward to it."

I gulped as the words he spoke sent a chill down my spine. I hated using Eleazer, telling him to round up some men to help me hunt Jimmy's ass down when I was the reason his niece was dead in the first place. If I had told him Jasper was missing too, he might figure it out. Hopefully, he'd never have to know.

"Me too, Eleazer. Me too." I hung up the phone, wincing at what I'd just done, but it had to go down this way. The more help the better.

I stood up, running one hand through my hair and the other in search of my cigarettes. Pulling the pack from my jacket pocket, I grabbed one out, sticking it in my mouth as I made my way over to the closed door. Just as I grabbed the knob Bella was beginning to knock.

"Whoa. Excuse me!" She exclaimed as her hands went down by her side.

"Were you eavesdropping on my conversation?" I asked her through my cigarette – filled mouth, taking it out only after I spoke.

"What? No, I just needed some files from Emmett regarding the Ferrari account. I was hoping you could get them for me." She had some strands of hair hanging down around her face from our earlier encounter which made her look sexy as hell.

"Well, have Alice get them for you. I'm just leaving for a meeting." I locked and shut the door behind me, walking right past her when she spoke up.

"Stressful day, Mr. Masen?" She asked, her eyebrows arching in the process.

"Excuse me?"

"The cigarette. You only smoke when you're stressed."

"Don't worry about me, darling. I can take care of myself. You just run along and get to work, okay?"

The pissed off look on her face was completely worth the banter. Yeah, I think I was going to love coming back to work.

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I had a completely different ending for this chapter but after my friend read it, she gave me some good suggestions and I changed it around. Thank you to everyone who has me on story alert and fave author! **

**Reviews: *Would be awesome and appreciated!* I finally got a bunch the last time so it's good to see that you all like the story! I'd especially like to know if you like the way things are going because they're really about to take off. **


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 25 – Is She or Isn't She?

**Just so everyone knows, I took a few liberties in this chapter. I don't know anything about the classes in the FBI; it just sounded like something that should be taught there, lol. If anyone actually knows if they do teach this there or not, that'd be a good tidbit to know!**

BPOV

What an arrogant ass! How dare he come into my office, fuck me on my own desk and then just write me off like I was just some trashy whore.

I knew his game. He was acting like he didn't care for me at all, thinking he could treat me any way he wanted to since he was suddenly my boss. Two can play that game. As I went back to my office, my chest felt tight and there was a lump in my throat – I wouldn't let the tears flow. So while I sat in my chair, legs propped up on my desk, thoughts of how I should play my next move swam through my mind.

I was trying to get over him. Granted, I did wear my sexiest lingerie today under my new little black dress and stiletto heels just in case he showed up to work today. Not that I thought I'd be doing the nasty with him on my desk, no less, but it sure made me feel sexy whenever I was around him. The man epitomized everything I was against, and I still screwed him. What was wrong with me?

It took everything I had in me to keep from sitting him down and asking him why . . .? Why would he turn to a life of drugs knowing his mother got hooked and eventually succumbed to them? Deep down, I knew he wasn't a bad man, but I knew he wasn't exactly a pillar of the community either.

Leaning up from my chair, I grabbed the wallet currently sitting on my desk. It wasn't surprising it was Italian leather; my guess was it set him back a few hundred bucks. I'd love to see the look on his face when he discovers it missing. It serves him right for treating me like some cheap whore earlier. I'd been an expert pickpocket for about ten years now. One of the FBI training classes was a course in Thievery or basically learning how to be a common thief.

When Edward had his pants down earlier, I saw that as my golden opportunity to do a little lifting, so to speak. When he left my office shouting a few orders on the way, I rummaged through it briefly, having every intention to give it back to him at the end of the day. However, when he rebuffed me earlier, he lost that privilege of getting it back.

Jerk.

The man certainly carried a lot of cash with him. I guess it just goes with the territory of masterminding the biggest drug ring of the South. There weren't that many pictures in there; actually there were two. One was of him and Emmett with their graduation caps on, so I assumed it was from high school. The other one was of a pretty woman about the age of forty or so. It was old and a little worn so it was hard to tell the exact age, but I guessed it was his dead mother. They had quite a resemblance, especially with the hair color and the eye area.

His driver license picture was interesting; it looked to be about five years old because Edward's hair was quite short, and he was wearing glasses. Hidden in a small opening of the wallet was a torn piece of napkin with an address written on it. I grabbed a sticky note and copied down the address before sliding the napkin scrap back into its rightful place.

Men must make a habit of writing things on pieces of napkins. Oddly enough, the napkin scrap unfortunately reminded me of James. Years ago, when we first met in the college classroom, he had slipped me his phone number on a piece of napkin from our university cafeteria. Now, it was ironic the current man in my life did the same thing.

A knock on my door startled me, but since it was closed, it allowed me the opportunity to hide the wallet in my desk drawer.

"Come in." I replied, after closing the drawer.

Alice appeared at the doorway. "Hey, Marie. Are you hungry by any chance? I was just wondering if you had any plans tonight. For some reason, I'm hungry for Cuban food. I think it was because I was watching the Food Network last night and that cute chef was on there . . . I forget his name, but anyway he made the most delicious looking Cuban sandwich and –″

I cut her off before she got even wordier. "Sure, Alice. I'll go with you. I'm getting a little hungry myself. Let me just close down a few programs then I'll be right out."

Truth be told, I needed a night away with a friend. Being holed up in my condo over the last few nights gave me way too much time to think. A girls night out is exactly what I needed.

I grabbed my purse after shutting down the computer and slid my chair in behind the desk. I went over to the door, but suddenly realized I had left Edward's wallet in the drawer. Knowing him, he would unlock my office tonight to check and see if I stole it, so I went back to get it.

Meeting me outside my office, Alice started in again. "Okay, I just did a quick Google search, and unfortunately there are hundreds of Cuban restaurants in Miami. I know which ones are my favorites, but I thought we'd try something new tonight. I'm not sure why I'm asking you this, but have you encountered any great Cuban restaurants since you've been here?"

I thought for a moment before answering her. I certainly did know a great Cuban place. "Actually yes, I do. Edward and I had our first date at a small restaurant down in Little Havana. Are you up for a short drive?"

"That sounds wonderful!" Alice was suddenly excited. She went and grabbed her purse, and we both headed down to the parking lot.

**. . .**

We reached the Versailles restaurant around seven thirty and the crowd had thinned out a bit, thankfully. Alice had never been there so it was nice to know I had the upper hand for a change. I looked around for Marco, the owner to see if he remembered me.

The hostess sat us in a nice corner while handing us the menus.

"This is very quaint. I find it quite interesting the illustrious Edward Masen knew about this place though. Speaking of Edward, you two sounded a little . . . cozy earlier. Are you two on good terms again?" Alice asked while perusing her menu.

My face probably turned fifty shades of red. "Shit. You heard that? Oh my God. I'm mortified!" My hand raised up to my mouth as my head lowered.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm just glad the two of you kissed and made up. It sure would make for a lot of tension at work. I'm sure you're glad too, right?" She shut the menu, laying it down on the table.

"Unfortunately, it's not that easy with us, Alice. He's obviously still pissed at me for the alias I gave him, although I can't figure out why exactly. Not to mention I'm still getting used to the idea of him being my . . . boss." Boss wasn't the word I really wanted to use, but I had to of course.

The server came up to our table bringing back a couple glasses of water. We ordered our food then Alice spoke up again.

"Uh, okay, then what were all those sounds coming out of your office earlier? I seriously doubt those spreadsheets are all that sexy, unless of course there are some porn pics thrown in there." Alice giggled, thinking she said something extremely funny or something.

"Well, if you must know, I believe it's called letting off a whole lot of sexual tension. Alice, I really don't know what to do. I really need to distance myself from him, but I can't, of course, because he's my fucking boss! I cannot believe I just said that. I am actually fucking my boss. Just shoot me now, please."

Alice put her hands on top of mine, patting them gently. "There, there, Marie. It's going to be okay, really. Technically, I guess he's your boss, but Emmett will be back in a week and Edward will be going back to his house to work. That makes it better, right?"

"Oh, yeah. That's a WHOLE lot better, thanks." I rolled my eyes at her as I took a sip of water. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Marco standing near our booth, talking to some customers. He turned to go toward the kitchen when I hollered at him.

"Hola, Marco!" I waved at him while he looked over his shoulder at us.

"Hola! Lo siento. No recuerdo su nombre pero parece familiar." Marco said that he was sorry but couldn't remember me even though I looked familiar to him.

Alice just stared at me like I had two heads. "Me nombre es Marie. Soy amigo de Eduardo."

"Ah, yes! I remember now. How is Edward doing? I miss him. I haven't seen him since you two were here a few months ago."

"He's good. He's working hard as usual though. I'll let him know I ran into you." I really didn't know what else to say. There definitely wasn't any reason to let Marco know we probably weren't going to make it as a couple.

"Edward is such a sweet man. You need to hang on to that one. He is very private though. Why he wants to keep everything a secret is beyond me." It was very noticeable that Marco truly adored Edward.

"How long have you known him, Marco? Were you friends with his family?" I might as well get as much information as I can from other sources who know Edward − especially since I wasn't having much luck anywhere else.

"Mr. Edward didn't want me to tell you this, but since you two are close, I don't see what the big deal is. Years ago, my restaurant was in a lot of financial trouble. Mr. Edward ate here quite often when things started to spiral out of control. I was just days away from closing my doors when a man from the bank came with a check. A very, big check. He said it was from an anonymous source, but I knew where it came from. There was no one I knew who had that much money but Mr. Edward."

Marco's face lit up like a Christmas tree when talking about Edward. He truly was appreciative of Edward's gratitude. My heart warmed at the thought of Edward anonymously saving this quaint little restaurant and his friend from bankruptcy. He had all the qualities of being a genuine, kind-hearted person, so why the hell did he turn to a life of crime?

Tears started welling up in my eyes which would start a floodgate if I didn't get a grip on myself. It was so easy these days for my emotions to be all over the map. What the fuck was wrong with me?

Alice handed me the table napkin, and I nodded a thank you. She must've been inspired by Marco's account of Edward's generosity, because it prompted her to re-tell her own story.

"When I first started working for C&M, I didn't have much money. We didn't get paid until after my second week of work and my rent was due." Looking over at me, she continued. "This was when he came into the office once in a while. It just so happened he was in the area of my desk when he overheard my conversation with my landlord. I didn't even know he was there until I hung up and was crying. He came up to me and asked me if everything was all right. I just nodded and blew my nose. The next day, I went down to tell the landlord I couldn't pay him just yet, and he looked at me like I was nuts. He proceeded to tell me it had already been taken care of for the next three months! I knew it had to be Edward because absolutely no one else knew about it."

I blew my nose in my napkin for the third time. Why did Edward have a heart of gold but a mind of steel? By that time, our food had arrived, Marco excused himself, and Alice and I continued our meal.

Alice set her fork down, looking up at me in the process. "Do you also know Edward gives his favorite charity two hundred thousand dollars a year?"

My eyes widened and my mouth made a slight grin. "No, I didn't know that, but it doesn't surprise me. Which charity is it?"

I picked up my glass of water while she spoke. "End Drug & Alcohol Abuse Center off of 35th St. He goes ther –″

As soon as she said end drug abuse, my mouthful of water sprayed all across the table – and directly at her blouse.

"What the hell, Marie?"

"Oh, my gosh, I am so sorry! That was a complete accident!" I really needed to get a grip on myself.

"Geesh. Can't you swallow or something?" Alice took her napkin and began blotting up the water.

"Wow. He's so generous with his money but yet can be a complete jerk. Do you know he has me working late every night this week?"

Setting the wet napkin down, Alice started rummaging through her purse. "Well, that's one of the things I needed to talk with you about tonight."

"I thought you asked me to dinner because you were hungry for Cuban food." I took another bite of my steak, which was excellent. It was so succulent and juicy, making me even hungrier.

"Well, I was, but I still needed to discuss work. Emmett called and told me to take you out to dinner. Apparently, he was too busy to discuss work with you himself for some reason. Anyway, he wanted me to warn you that with Edward in the office, things might be a little . . . hectic."

"Hectic, how? By the way, are you going to eat the rest of your plantains? They look awesome."

"Um, no, I'm not. I can see you must be feeling better. You're eating like a horse tonight."

"Yeah, isn't it great? So, carry on. What's going on with Edward?"

"Well, Emmett says it's never a good sign when he's in the office. He requires a lot of attention and expects his top people to work god-awful hours. That's probably why he told you to work late every night. Oh, and he told me to tell you . . ." she pulled out a piece of paper she got from her purse a minute ago and began to read, "the Maggiano family from the Hamptons will be here Friday night. He expects you to wine and dine them at some fancy restaurant. I guess they're some big - ″

"THE Maggiano's from East Hampton?" Holy shit. The Maggiano's were the biggest crime family in the U.S. since the Gambino's. Everyone knew that – except Alice, I guess.

Alice had a surprised look on her face. "You know them or something? Are they famous in the car world because I've never heard of them before?"

"Uh, yeah. They're really loaded, that's all. Why am I meeting with them?"

"Emmett says they specifically asked us to customize a couple dozen Bentley limousines. He wants you to oversee the sale; he has complete trust in you now. You must've made quite the impression on him and your work with our company."

I shuttered at the trust statement. "I'm surprised he hasn't asked Edward to wine and dine them. He is part owner after all."

Alice paused for a second before she spoke. "I'm not sure why he isn't going." She quickly changed the subject. The next half hour was spent talking about the latest fashion trends, celebrity gossip, and Miami's weather for the week.

I finished up my plate of food and went to grab the check lying on the table. Just as I thought, Marco comped it for us since we were friends of Edward's. We couldn't eat without paying anything, so the server got a really big tip.

We got in Alice's car since she drove us to the restaurant which meant we had to swing back by C&M. There was one more stop I needed to make before the end of the night however.

"Alice, would you mind stopping by the drugstore for me? There's something I need to get."

**. . .  
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The rest of the week went by fairly quickly with Edward being his usual prick self - except for the day after he fucked me and then shunned me. That day, he was in rare form.

"What'd you do with it?" Edward asked me after barging into my office.

"Do with what?" Okay, I had a big shit-eating grin on my face. I couldn't help it.

"You know what. Give it back." An angry Edward was a sexy Edward. He was looking like a straight-up model from GQ magazine in his navy blue suit and matching tie. I loved the way his hands were fidgeting in his pockets.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Did you lose something?"

"When I came in your office, I had my wallet with me. When I left your office, I didn't."

"Hmm. You certainly did _come_ in my office last night as I recall." I couldn't help stifling a giggle.

"Do you think you're being funny, Bella? I do believe I hear a hint of insubordination in your voice." A small grin was appearing on his face; one I would just love to kiss off of right now. I really needed to get past these naughty thoughts of him. Why couldn't my body and my mind stop betraying me for once?

"Is that so? I wouldn't come any closer then. We wouldn't want Human Resources calling the owner of the company about sexual harassment charges." I was thoroughly enjoying this conversation as I sat at my desk, crossing my legs and putting my pencil behind my ear. I also might have crept my skirt back an inch or two.

Edward walked straight over to my desk, leaned right over to my ear and whispered. "Honey, I'd like to see you try." He then took the pencil from behind my ear, tracing it ever so slowly down my cleavage, over my thin blouse and across my skirt, only stopping at my mid-thigh.

Wiggling up in the chair to show him I wasn't bothered by it, I grasped a hold of his tie and pulled his face down to mine. "I'm sure you would like to see me try lots of things Mr. Masen," I muttered teasingly, as my leg began to find his crotch. I rubbed up and down on it a few times until I knew it was having an impact.

His breathing got heavy when I decided I'd had enough fun. Pushing him away, I rose up out of my chair and opened the door for him. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Mr. Masen. I'll be seeing you soon." Glancing down at his little problem, I picked up a file and handed it to him. "Oh, if you don't mind, could you take this file out to Alice for me? I think she needs it – right away." My smile couldn't have been any bigger knowing that I had the upper hand in this situation today.

The look on his face was priceless. The bulge in his pants was even more so. He growled while grabbing the file on the desk and marched right out of my office.

After shutting my door, I went back to my desk and pulled my drawer open. I took out the sticky note where I had written the address from the napkin in Edward's wallet. I took my personal cell phone out and dialed Charlie.

"Hey, Dad! How's it going?"

"Great, Bells. How's things there?"

"I'm managing. Listen, you need to go have some of our men check out this address, okay? I'm not sure what it is, but I found it in Edward's wallet.

Charlie repeated the address to me. "Got it. Any idea who lives at this address?"

"No, not really. I just want to be thorough and not miss anything. What's going on with the shipment from the Caribbean? Are you keeping tabs on Emmett?"

"If things stay on course, it looks like we'll have them arrested by the weekend. Mr. Cullen has met with some pretty big names in the industry, and we've got it all on tape. The surveillance videos are top notch, and he has no idea he's being watched that we can tell. I really think we'll be able to finally nail these cocky bastards."

My mind drifted as Charlie kept talking. The weekend? That was just a few days away! I didn't know what to do. The perfectly rational side of me wanted to praise myself for a job well done. The emotional side was a completely different story.

Edward was a very complicated man. His demons got the best of him at a young age, taking control of his vulnerability all because of a mother who was so strung out she couldn't properly take care of her own child.

I cursed her silently. If she would've only paid him a little bit more attention, his life would've never taken this awful turn. Edward was a thoughtful, generous man. I'd experienced that like so many of his friends and co-workers have; but the sinister side, the side that consumed him for years, and built him this huge empire had a lasting impact. And I was about to crush all of it.

"What do you think, Bells?" Charlie asked.

"Um, about what exactly?" Damn, I must've been daydreaming awhile.

"You get to do the honors. You get to be the one to put the handcuffs on the man who's solely responsible for running drugs in the south for the past several years. Edward Masen won't know what hit him."

I let out a huge sigh. "Yeah, I can't wait, Dad."

**. . .**

One other unusual thing happened this week. There were voices outside my office door that didn't sound familiar, so I peeked out to see a strange woman talking to Alice. She had fiery red hair and was slender but curvy in all the right places. However, what kept making me stare at her was her outfit. She was wearing a trench coat and the spikiest heels I'd ever seen. Hell, this was Florida for gosh sakes. Who wears coats even in the wintertime?

"He isn't taking visitors at the moment." Alice adamantly stated to the woman.

"Oh, he'll see me. Let him know that Victoria is here, please." The woman took her beautifully manicured hand and slid it through her hair.

"Are you a client or something?" You could tell Alice was getting more pissed by the moment.

The woman laughed. Loudly. She obviously craved attention. "Um, you could say that."

"Hmpf." Alice picked up her phone, buzzing someone. "Mr. Masen, there's a . . . woman here to see you and she's quite aggressive. Uh-huh. No . . . okay, I'll let her know."

She looked this Victoria person straight in the eye which made me giggle. "He said under no circumstances is he seeing anyone right now. He's extremely busy."

Her face turned to fury, and she was pissed. "You didn't even tell him who I am! What kind of secretary are you?"

Alice stood straight up and stuck her finger in the woman's face. "The kind that's going to kick your sorry ass out if you don't leave. Do I have to call security?"

"For Christ's sakes! I'll just call him myself. How he ever hired you I'll never know!" She stormed off and stood in the corner while dialing her cell phone.

I came out and stood in the doorway to let Alice know I heard the whole thing. She didn't even notice me because she was grumbling under her breath and started slamming items on her desk every two seconds. Finally, I coughed which made her glance up at me.

She mouthed the word "bitch", and I nodded in agreement. I was still curious about her though, so I came out and stood over Alice's desk as if I were asking her something.

Who did this woman think she was anyway? Furthermore, what was she to Edward? My body started shaking a little and anger coursed through my body. Was he fucking her?

Eavesdropping, I heard her speak to Edward on the phone. "I was hoping I'd get to see you this afternoon." Oh brother. Her voice dripped of sex; anyone could tell what it is she wanted. "I didn't know I would need an appointment. I never have before, Eddie. What was that? I just thought you'd want, you know, a little fun. We haven't seen each other in awhile. I really miss you."

I stared at Alice and the look on her face was one of pity – for me. Or maybe it was an "I told you so" look, I don't know, but I was seething inside. How dare this woman come into this place of business and make a scene?

Alice knew I was mad, so she gripped my wrist tightly. "Let it go, Marie. She's totally not worth it."

Victoria spoke up again. "Really? You'll see me after all? You won't be sorry, I promise you, darling!" She slammed her phone shut and made her way over to us.

Looking me up and down, she gave me the once over and took her aggression back onto Alice.

"Well, ladies. It looks like I CAN see my man after all. Don't think I'm not going to tell Eddie how rude you were either Ms. . . . Brandon," Victoria said icily after picking up Alice's nameplate and slamming it back down.

Then she turned quickly on her heels, marching straight down the hall to Edward's office.

I swear if Alice's face could get any redder, it would've combusted. Our fury together could've started a war. I was playing with some files on her desk and furiously started rolling them together to give my hands something to do.

"Ooh, the nerve of that woman. Who does she think she is anyway? I swear if Edward is screwing her, so help me –″

I cut her off. "Please stop. I'm mad as hell right now too, however you warned me about him." If my pulse rate got any higher I was going to tell Alice to take me to the hospital. My feet started moving of their own volition, walking down the corridor to follow that bitch of a woman who was after my man.

Wait a minute. What claim did I have on him? Except the fact he told me he loved me once, he was a drug lord and all around bad guy, right? Wrong. This past week had shown me he was compassionate and caring. The money he made wasn't all for frivolous, material things but also to help those in need. Dammit! The jealousy building up in me overtook my whole body, making me want to go and beat the ever loving shit out of this woman.

Obviously, my heart felt otherwise because I was now at his door, listening in on his conversation with Miss Bitch herself. I knew it was wrong, but my instincts were telling me this woman was not to be trusted. Even though she had previously slept with Edward, for some reason, I didn't think she had the best of intentions.

I put my ear up close to the door and heard Edward's voice.

"What's so important that it couldn't wait, Victoria? As you can see, I'm very busy here, so out with it." Edward spoke to her angrily which delighted me.

"My, my. You're quite the stuffy one at work. I just thought that since it'd been awhile, I'd stop by and see if you needed a little – relief. You do seem really stressed out today. Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine, Vic. I appreciate your concern but I'm really not in the mood. You've never come to my work before. Why did you come here instead of my house?"

That red headed slut has been to his house? I swear I wanted to slug her.

"Oh, I don't know. All this time I've known you, I'd never visited here before. I'm kind of glad I never have. Your staff is rude." Her voice was fading in and out which led me to believe she was walking around the room. Was she looking for something?

"My staff is paid to do what I tell them to do. They're under my direction and look out for my benefit." Edward's voice got closer to the door, so I backed away in case he was opening it soon.

"Well, that's ironic because I'm here for your benefit as well. It's been too long Eddie, and I desperately want you. You seem uptight, and we could help each other tremendously." Her voice was getting softer and more seductive. Suddenly, I heard some rustling of fabric and him growling. Or at least that's what it sounded like.

"Like what you see, lover? If I remember right, blue is your favorite color. At least it was the last time we were together."

The bitch must've taken off the trench coat and had nothing on underneath it. Smooth.

"Whoa, there. We can't do this. I'm kinda in a relationship now, and I hope you'll respect that."

"C'mon, Edward. You know I don't care about any of that. It's just a screw. If I recall, it's never bothered you before, especially when you were dating that nasty Tanya Denali."

He told her he was in a relationship. Suddenly, I got a warm, tingling feeling all over and my pulse slowed down. He did still care about me. Wait a minute. Tanya Denali. Tanya, Tanya, Denali. Where had I heard that name before? Damn, it sounded so familiar.

Quiet. That's what I heard next. Nothing but quiet, and it pissed me off. Thank goodness I had grabbed some files from Alice's desks because I knocked on his door. Fast and loud. And I didn't wait for him to answer either.

I barged right in because someone forgot to lock the door. There she was in all her glory: black and blue satin lace, garter belt, bra and panty set. The whole shebang. They pulled apart as soon as I opened the door; obviously they were making out and Edward's face turned bright red.

"Uh, Be-Marie. What . . . this isn't what it looks like!" He stepped away from her quickly while she looked over her shoulder at me with a big ass smirk on her face. The bitch looked like she actually planned for this to happen.

I acted as if I didn't see a thing and that it didn't bother me in the least. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Masen. I'll come back another time. I didn't know you had company."

Victoria giggled as if she was embarrassed, which clearly she wasn't. "Oops. This is a little humiliating! Edward, I thought I locked that door. It was my mistake."

I acted like I didn't hear a thing, turning around to bolt out of there as quick as my feet would carry me. Edward shouted at me to stop which I did, but only for one second. This whole time I held his wallet in my hand, using it as my excuse to barge into his office but when I saw him in Victoria's arms, I completely forgot about it.

"Bella, wait!" He looked remorseful, but I knew what I had seen.

Although the tears were streaming down my face, I still mustered the strength to stand up to him. "You left this in my office." And with that, I threw it at him as hard as I could, aiming for his face, but hitting him in the chest. Money started flying everywhere and plastic cards were falling out one right after the other.

"Please hear me out!" I heard him shouting at me down the hall, but I had already high tailed it to the ladies room around the corner. I locked the door and stayed in there until I knew he was gone. After ten minutes or so, I went back to my office and got my purse.

I left quickly without turning off my computer, but I didn't care. Alice gave me a look of sorrow which I returned her a look of one as well. Holding my head up high, my legs took me to my car in the parking lot where I broke down again.

**. . .**

It was now Friday, the day I was going to meet the Maggiano's. I had kept my phone off all last night not wanting to hear any ridiculous explanations from Edward. So far, I hadn't seen him in the office and neither had Alice. That was great because I was going to finish up a few things then get the hell out of here to get ready for this big meeting tonight.

There was no way I was in the mood for a big confrontation anymore. It was quite clear where we stood in our relationship which was fine by me because I needed to forget him anyway. Besides, probably by the end of tomorrow or Sunday I'd be throwing his ass in jail, and then he'd hate me forever.

During the morning, I had finished up my sales reports, emailed them to Emmett, copied Edward and reviewed the budget for the next fiscal year. My tiredness set in, and I hoped to catch a small nap. I said goodbye to Alice, and she gave me directions to the restaurant. As I walked out, she winked and told me to have a great time. Weird.

**. . .**

Touching up my makeup, I applied my light pink lip gloss and took a look at myself in the mirror. The dark circles were still noticeable, so I'd put cover up on them to avoid looking like I had just gotten out of bed. Sleep was not my friend lately. Even though I was exhausted coming home from work late at night, I had been tossing and turning ever since my conversation with Charlie about me hauling in Edward. How did I end up in this position? Better yet, how could I be so stupid?

I knew better and tried to rid myself of these feelings, but they just wouldn't go away. If I had only known who he was before, I could've stopped this whole thing.

Standing in front of the mirror in my bra and panty set, I glanced at my profile. Damn, I had lost weight! The constant throwing up back in Las Vegas must have done a number on me. I knew I had since gained my appetite back, but for some reason, certain foods made me nauseous. My main food supply at night had been ginger ale and crackers which didn't make for a great dinner.

I knew I had been putting this off too long. Blowing out a big sigh, I walked over to my bed and grabbed the pharmacy bag. Pulling it out, I turned it over and over in my hands. _It isn't complicated to use, Bella. _I knew I had to; I just couldn't bring myself to do it. How did things get so fucked up?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Dum de dum dum . . . ! I LOVE cliffhangers – but only when I write them. Lol Edward is a jerk, I know. How are these two ever going to work things out – especially with the bust just days away? The plot thickens. Reviews would be so awesome – so awesome that it might spur me to post my chapter sooner than a week from now. Woo hoo!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight. This little ditty is mine. I dedicate this chapter to those who reviewed and spurred me on to write faster, lol. **

**Many thanks to my betas as always – xoxo Kirsten and Ange. Now I'm done rambling, so on with the show . . .**

**Chapter 26 - Kidnapped**

C&M had a car pick me up, taking me to the Grove Isle Hotel & Spa where the Maggiano's were staying. The hotel was on a private island and was a luxury resort where only the richest of people stayed to spend their hard-earned money; or not. My guess was it wasn't very hard-earned in most people. These people either inherited the money or stole it from someone even richer than they were.

Baleen was the restaurant of choice and just so happened to be located in the hotel. The ambiance was exquisite with its magnificent ocean views and outdoor seating. It was quite romantic which at the moment I wasn't in the mood for. At least I had this business dinner to get my mind off things. Seeing Edward's hands on that red-headed whore made me want to drop kick him and her on their asses so fast they wouldn't have known what hit them. Yeah, this dinner was what I needed to keep my mind focused and away from the major task I would have to do by the end of the weekend.

Instead of having his head on a platter, I would be slapping handcuffs around his beautifully sculptured wrists, therefore having no other chance in hell of reconciling with him. It was the job I was assigned to and the job I would finish, but that didn't have to make me happy with it.

Shrugging off my endless thoughts of the man who made me crazy these past months, I walked up to the maître d and inquired if the Maggiano's had arrived yet. He told me they had, grabbed me a menu and proceeded to show me to their table. Since the restaurant was five stars, I had to wear a formal dress. Surprisingly, Alice had one already picked out for me, and it was delivered to the office earlier in the week. I had to admit it was gorgeous. It was a shimmery blue with a plunging V-neckline with a ruched waistband and surprisingly, it fit quite perfectly. She was amazing.

Turning the corner, he directed me to their table where a middle aged attractive couple sat along with none other than Edward Masen. My jaw dropped immediately - not just in shock of him being here, but for the way he dressed tonight.

He stood up, obviously as shocked as I was and greeted me.

"Um, hello Marie. I wasn't expecting you tonight. Are you here to join us?"

He wore an Armani classic black tux complete with a black bow-tie. It was impeccably dry cleaned down to the crisp clean seam down the middle of the pants. To say he looked dashing would be an understatement. His hair was a little more tamed than usual, probably because he was trying to make a good impression on the crime family.

"Yes, I am. What exactly are you doing here?" I muttered to him softly, not wanting the couple to hear us.

He stood in front of me so they couldn't listen. "Emmett called and told me to have dinner with these clients. I'm guessing you got the same message."

My body heat rose again. How was I going to keep my composure when I'm constantly being thrown together with this man? There was no way I could be nice to him anymore. I had to act tough. And I had to start now. "You guessed correctly. I'd like to be introduced now if you don't mind."

"Look, if you're upset about the whole ordeal with Victoria . . ." I cut him off right there with a hand to his face.

"Look, Edward, what, or WHO, you do is your business, not mine. At least not anymore. I think you made that perfectly clear with the cold shoulder you gave me this week. Now, we really need to get back to our clients. Shall we?"

Edward wasn't pleased with my comments, but turned around to face the couple anyway. "Mr. and Mrs. Maggiano, this is Marie Dwyer, our Vice President of Sales. It looks like she'll be joining us."

I extended my hand to the woman first as protocol should have it. She was quite attractive for her age, wearing a beautiful red strapless gown and a gorgeous diamond necklace to accompany it. I wondered how many people her husband had to kill to get it for her.

Her husband was as handsome as she was pretty. He was distinguished looking with shades of gray tinting his sideburns. Middle aged suited them well, especially with all the stress he was probably under running a crime syndicate.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Maggiano. I'm looking forward to working with you and your wife." He had stood up from his chair to greet me, and I swore he stared at my chest a little longer than necessary.

"Well, Edward. You didn't tell me you had a new Vice-President of Sales. And a very beautiful one at that." Mr. Maggiano spoke with a slight New England accent, which made me guess it was their main residence.

Edward's face contorted a little bit after he spoke. Either he was pissed at me from interrupting his dinner with the mafia family, or still reeling from my comments on his afternoon delight with Victoria that didn't happen.

"Well, Michael, you know I can't say anything about Ms. Dwyer's appearance. I wouldn't want to spend my second week back at C&M's Human Resources Dept. on a sexual harassment charge with my own company, no less." Edward joked, and then laughed afterwards, looking over at me because he knew I used that line earlier in the week.

We sat right next to each other, and I could smell his cologne along with a hint of nicotine, letting me know he was a little nervous about tonight for some reason. That was interesting. I knew he was a self-acknowledged stress smoker which led me to believe this evening was more than just buying limousines. If that was the case, why would Emmett have me tag along?

While everyone was chatting, I got the distinct impression someone was watching me. When I took a drink of my water, I scanned the room in full detail, not being the least bit obvious in my observations. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but I couldn't shake the feeling.

Soon, a server came to take our drink order.

The men ordered the restaurant's finest scotch, and Mrs. Maggiano ordered a Chardonnay. The server turned to me for my drink order.

"What would the beautiful young lady to my left be drinking this evening?" the server smiled after speaking.

"A glass of Merlot would be great, please. Thank you."

After ordering my drink, I opened up my menu. As I was perusing it, Mrs. Maggiano decided to comment on my dress.

"Ms. Dwyer, your dress is exquisite. What designer is it? Vera Wang? Wait, it must be Stella McCartney, right?"

I decided to start playing rough now. I might as well get him out of my mind sooner rather than later. "Oh, you know, I'm not sure. A friend of mine bought it for me. He has good taste, right?"

As soon as the words came out of my mouth, Edward's head turned around so fast, I thought he'd get whiplash.

"Well, he sure does. It must be someone quite close to you, I'm guessing. If I'm not mistaken, it is a Stella McCartney, and it isn't exactly cheap. He must be someone special I take it? And please, call me Michelle."

Well, what do you know? I was on a first name basis with America's biggest crime family. "He is special. I've known him for awhile, and he just came back in town recently. He heard I had a business meeting at a nice restaurant and went out and bought this dress for me. To say I was surprised would be an understatement!" Lies came pouring out of my mouth; I wasn't quite sure why I decided to have another man in the picture. I think I made him up to piss Edward off because of his escapade earlier in the week.

Mr. Maggiano decided to chime in as well. "Well, Ms. Dwyer, I, for one, am glad he picked it out for you. It flatters you and brings out the beautiful brown in your eyes."

"Why, thank you, Mr. Maggiano." I raised my glass for a toast. "Would everyone please put their glasses together? Here's to an evening of great conversation, great food and even greater business deals!" While everyone clinked their glasses together, Edward gave me a small smirk. I think he was deciding on whether or not to believe my little charade.

"Marie, what did you say the name of your boyfriend was again? I don't believe I remember you mentioning him before." Edward asked, taking a drink of his scotch.

Sitting my glass down, I recalled the name of my very first kiss in sixth grade. "Scotty. Scotty Miller."

Edward chuckled. "Scotty?"

"Well, of course, he goes by just Scott now. He likes me to call him Scotty though." _Why the hell did I say Scotty?_ "While we're talking about relationships, Mr. Masen, it was nice to see your current_ flame_ in the office the other day. Speaking of flame, that was some wild hair color. I'm thinking it must be Miss Clairol # 55."

Edward's eyes widened as one side of his mouth turned up into a sly grin. "We really don't want to do this here, do we Ms. Dwyer? We are in front of some very important clients."

Michelle spoke up quickly. "Oh, it's quite all right, Mr. Masen. I do like relationship talk along with some good gossip. It makes it feel like I'm watching an old episode of Love Connection."

Edward picked up his drink and took quite a long gulp. As he swallowed, he peered at me over his glass as if to tell me I asked for it. Setting his glass down, he cleared his throat before talking.

"The beautiful redhead in my office the other day was Victoria. She's my neighbor who pays me a visit every now and then. I don't get to see her very often because she travels quite a bit for her job. Her trip to my office this week was quite unexpected, but pleasing nonetheless. By the way, her hair color is natural, I can assure you."

Ooh, the nerve of this man! I knew my face looked the same red as Victoria's, not from embarrassment, but fury. "Oh, I'm sure every man in the office would have known that with one pull of her trench coat belt."

"Touché. So, Marie, tell us . . . what does this _Scotty_ look like?" Edward looked amused now.

"Oh, I don't want to bore our guests with such mundane details. We do need to discuss some real business, specifically limo business, I believe."

Edward kept plugging away. "We all are intrigued about your boy . . . friend, and I believe everyone likes to hear about a blossoming new relationship. Do tell."

He sat there holding his scotch, swirling the glass around in his hand, awaiting the lies to spew forward, I'm sure. I decided to give it to him straight.

I figured if I never got the chance to tell him how deep my feelings went for him then maybe I could convey them through my fictitious boyfriend. Staring at my fingers tracing the pattern in the tablecloth, the words started pouring out of my mouth.

"Scott was the first, true person I ever shared any real emotions. When we're together, I can let my guard down, laugh at his funny jokes, or just take a quiet walk with him. We can stand next to each other on his balcony, watching the sunrise over the ocean after sharing a romantic dinner at our favorite Cuban restaurant. He's gorgeous, yet mysterious; dangerous, but compassionate. Sitting in silence or talking for hours, our time spent together means more than words can say. We share many interests, and he's opened me up to the many ways of the world, even when I thought I knew it all. Last but not least, he told me he loves me."

My eyes slowly looked up at Edward before I spoke the last sentence. "And he's the only man I've ever told 'I love you, too.'"

Rubbing my finger around the edge of my wine glass, I let out a small sigh. "I suppose you all didn't expect to hear that much detail, huh?"

Michael and Michelle appeared a little stunned about my love confession. I really didn't know what had gotten into me. I never would've said such a thing in any situation, let alone a business dinner.

If the Maggiano's were taken aback, Edward was in a state of shock. His eyes were frozen in one place as if trying to comprehend my little diatribe, probably dissecting it to pieces in that little head of his.

"Wow. You have it bad, Marie. That was honestly one of the most moving things I've heard in awhile," Michelle said, picking up her napkin and dabbing the corner of her eye.

Edward finally snapped out of his daze and cleared his throat. "Has everyone decided what they want to order yet? I do believe we have some business to attend to." He opened up his menu, scanning over all the pages while completely ignoring me as if I didn't exist.

Within a matter of minutes, the server arrived, breaking the awkwardness of the situation. Discussion finally turned to business, making dinner more bearable. I wasn't sure why Edward completely dismissed my declaration of love toward him, but he did, making my heart break little by little as the night wore on. Deep down inside, I knew it was for the best.

The feeling someone was lurking crept back again. Someone spying on me, watching my every move spurred me to excuse myself to go to the ladies room. I had to get to the bottom of this before I took my gun out of my purse to arrest someone's ass.

Walking around the tables of the restaurants, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. Fresh air sounded good to me, so I decided to get some and also see if someone was skulking around outside. There was a bench just to the right of the host stand, so I sat down. After a few minutes of taking in my surroundings, my phone rang. It was from an unknown number, so I decided not to pick it up.

My curiosity got the best of me, warranting me to answer on the third ring. "Is this the idiotic sycophant who's been following my every move tonight?"

A low chuckle echoed through the phone. I'd know that damn, evil laugh anywhere. "We're using bigger words now that we're older and wiser, huh?"

"I was wondering when you'd call me. Are you ready to give yourself up, James?"

"Well whatever are you talking about? I have nothing to hide, unlike your pretty boyfriend back there. You know you look ravishing tonight by the way. The dress fits you to a tee, sweetheart. It looks like you've grown some curves in all the right places, although you're still a little too skinny for my liking."

James was never one for small talk, and besides, he was boring me. I wondered what he had on Edward and if I could use it for my case. "Did you actually want to tell me something, or are you calling me to criticize my looks?"

"We need to meet. I have an envelope of pictures I think you'd be interesting in seeing. It's about time you knew the history of the man you've been dating all these months."

"Yeah about that . . . how is it that you know Edward anyway? You act like you've known him for years or something."

James hesitated for a second before he spoke. "All in due time, my dear. Now, I want you to make up a good excuse to your clients in there, because I know you'll want to see these photos."

"Look, I'm in the middle of a business acquisition. You can't just dictate where I'm going and when. What number can I call you back on since this one comes up as unknown?"

"No can do, sweetheart. It's now or never, and you'll thank me one day when you know what a criminal you've been sleeping with. Now, I want you to go back and tell your lovely dinner guests something came up. Then, grab a cab and go to 753 Old Dixie Highway. You have thirty minutes." James hung up abruptly, making me hiss and growl. How dare he shout orders at me?

Ducking into the ladies room, I splashed cold water on my face, grabbed a paper towel and rubbed off some of my makeup. However, my mascara decided to run a bit, but I remembered I had a moist towelette in my purse, so I opened it up to retrieve it. When I pulled it out, it ripped in half, reminding me of Edward's torn napkin in his wallet for some reason - the torn napkin with an address written on it.

Wait a minute. I vaguely remember the address saying something about a highway, but I couldn't be for sure. Could this be the same address as the one James just gave me? The only way was to grab a cab back to the office first to find out. I really had to hurry now.

As much as I didn't want to do it, I knew I didn't have a choice, so with all the poise I could muster; I walked back to our table where Edward seemed to be entertaining them with a joke of some sort.

As they slowed down their laughter, Mr. Maggiano stood up when I arrived back at the table. Edward glanced my way, his smile fading as he watched me pull my chair back to sit down.

"Everything all right, Ms. Dwyer? You're looking a little pale," Michael Maggiano questioned me as I reached for my water glass.

"I'm afraid not. It seems as if I'm getting one of my re-occurring migraines. They seem to spring up at the most inappropriate times. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm sure Edward is fully capable of handling the rest of the sale."

Edward finally acknowledged me by standing up. "Do you think it could have been the wine?"

"Uh, no, I just happen to be one of those unlucky people who get migraines periodically. I'm sure I'll be fine in the morning." I would have to admit his concern was comforting, if not for a little late.

"I'll have the car brought around for you."

"That's quite all right. I'm going to need to stop at the pharmacy to pick up my prescription I've been forgetting all week. It's not a problem to call a cab. As a matter of fact, I've had the maitre'd do it for me already. Thank you for offering though." I wasn't sure where his manners had suddenly come from, but it was a little too late.

The Maggiano's were courteous despite their colorful dealings. I had actually enjoyed their company tonight, but as always, duty called.

"We do hope you feel better, dear," Michelle said graciously. 'We'll just finalize things with Edward. You need to take care of yourself – especially now." She winked at me while I reached for my purse which I had sat on the table.

Her words sparked my curiosity, but I didn't have much time to dwell on them. Time was ticking away which made me more aware of what I was about to do. I was about to get the ammunition I needed to put away the one man I had ever loved – but it needed to be done.

EPOV

Something wasn't right. Bella had been gone over ten minutes when she excused herself to use the restroom. What woman takes that long in the restroom unless she bails to make a phone call? When she returned, she did look a little worse for wear, but still was the most beautiful creature I'd ever laid eyes on.

When she came into the restaurant earlier, I swear the world could have stopped, and I wouldn't even have noticed. She was simply breathtaking. The dress she wore was amazing and sexy as hell; the split up the side made me want to run my hands up its length to feel those silky smooth legs of hers. Her hair was put up in a French twist which completed the elegant look she obviously was trying to attain.

It was so difficult to take my eyes off her for even half a second the whole damn night. I knew Michael was taken with her; hell, who wouldn't be? He'd been known to bed the most beautiful women in the world, unbeknownst to his wife, and I could tell he wanted Bella pretty badly. No way in hell was that happening. I knew he wasn't used to anyone turning him down, and I was just thinking up a way to intervene his flirtations when she mentioned her boyfriend.

To say I was taken aback would be an understatement. Once she mentioned a name she probably picked out of the air, I knew she was lying. Her digs on Victoria proved she harbored some jealousy which only spurred me to ask her about her fictitious boyfriend. What happened next completely stunned me.

Her declaration of love for this _Scotty_ person sure sounded familiar to me. Dates _we _had went on; places _we_ had been, conversations the two of them supposedly discussed could not have been a coincidence. Then, that last sentence where she confessed he was the only person she had ever spoken those three little words to, and I knew exactly that _Scotty_ had never existed.

No words would come out of my mouth. When Michelle spoke up, wiping her eyes of tears, all I could think about was how I just wanted to take her right there and then. James' accomplice be damned. How could one person be two completely different people?

After Bella excused herself to visit the ladies room, it hit me. The way she moved when she arrived in a room, even the air of confidence she held when meeting people for the first time was too impressive. Bella was the epitome of grace; she exhibited manners and style definitely not reminiscent of some street hooker or even a well seasoned actress. Her ability to converse with the VP's of other car dealerships and compose sophisticated reports reflects a person who definitely has a higher education than the average person.

With Bella's absence, the Maggiano's began to discuss a little crime business. Michael was in need of some available ports to ship in his goods this summer. He was asking me to arrange it for him, because I had called in a few favors from him last year. I had a few transportation issues of my own in the northeast and couldn't bypass the authorities, so when all else failed, I had called for his help. Within a couple days, everything was ironed out, and our shipments were delivered with no problem.

For some reason, Michael made me nervous. He was the biggest mafia lord as I was the biggest drug lord and together, we would be mighty dangerous. However, no one knew I was trying to get out of this nasty business except Emmett and Jasper. Hell, I hadn't even made up my own mind what I wanted to do now that my relationship with Bella was in limbo.

By the time Bella arrived back to the table, our discussions were over, and we were talking about Michelle's Chihuahua eating her Jimmy Choo's. As striking as she looked tonight, I could tell something wasn't right. Not only was she a little pale, but for the first time ever she looked worried.

Michael had spoken up first, asking her if everything was all right.

"I'm afraid not. It seems as if I'm getting one of my re-occurring migraines. They seem to spring up at the most inappropriate times. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm sure Edward is fully capable of handling the rest of the sale."

I wasn't sure if what she was saying was true or not, but if it was, I certainly didn't want her driving. I had asked her if it could've been the wine, already knowing the answer. Hell, she really hadn't taken a sip out of the glass the whole night while the rest of us had at least three in us.

"I'll have the car brought around for you."

Not surprisingly, she turned me down, mumbling off something about a stop to the pharmacy which was bullshit, probably. A few minutes after her departure, my phone rang. Will, the man I had put on Bella's surveillance, called to tell me he was following her. That reassured me, but I still had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was; I just knew something wasn't right.

Giving my apologies to the Maggiano's, I headed out toward my car to serve as backup for Will. I was probably about fifteen minutes behind the cab which had arrived to take Bella to the pharmacy. Driving out of the hotel parking lot, Will called again.

"It looks like she's going to the office, sir."

That was odd. "Hmm. That's interesting. I wonder if she left something there. I'm headed that way but will park in the back lot so she won't see me. Please stay there until she leaves, all right? I still want her followed afterward."

I sped up and made it to the office building in record time. By now, Bella probably was talking to Alice, who I knew was staying late tonight, because I was having her do inventory. She wasn't pleased I had asked her to do it, but acquiesced after I told her I'd pay her double time.

Walking in through the back door and up the custodial elevator, I snuck on the floor, peeking around the corners and listening for her voice. When I didn't see Bella in her office, I assumed she didn't even go in there, because her office light was shut off and no one else was on our floor. I knew Alice was down on the warehouse side helping the IT staff count inventory, so, I figured I might as well go to my office to check my emails and wait to hear from Will.

Minutes later, I heard footsteps in the hallway and then a loud knock at my door. Praying it was Bella, I yelled for the person to come in. Unfortunately, it was just Alice.

She barged in like a mini tornado. She slammed her small hands down on the desk scaring the ever loving shit out of me, ranting and raving on and on about something. "Will you listen to me, dammit?" Damn, for a tiny girl, Alice had a loud mouth. "Were you daydreaming about banging Marie again in her office?"

"What are you talking about?" _Fuck, she heard that?_

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. It's a good thing Marie has a corner office. That girl's a screamer!"

I shot her a glance which meant I didn't want to continue this conversation, but it didn't seem to register with her.

"You know, at first I wasn't sure what was going on because I heard a few things fall on the floor and such, but when I heard – ″

I interrupted her mid-sentence, holding my hand up between us. "I get it, Alice. You heard us. Enough said."

Pissed off, Alice spoke up again. "This is the last time I'm ever doing inventory with those nerdy assholes from IT. All they talk about is the latest computer software and bits, and terabytes and blah, blah, blah. What a boring way to spend my Friday night!"

"I'm paying you double time, remember? So shut it. You can put up with a little smart talk for one night."

Alice agreed to stop bitching as she put her phone down, leaning back in her chair to cross her legs. All of a sudden, her phone rang, but she didn't bother to pick it up.

"Are you going to get that, or are you letting it ring all night to bother me?"

"Oh, that's not my phone. It's Marie's. She dropped it when she rushed out of here a minute ago."

"You saw her? Where was she going?"

"I don't know but she was in one hell of a hurry. How'd your night go, by the way?" Alice winked as she asked me.

I grabbed the phone as quick as I could, looking at the caller ID. After saying hello, I found out it was one of our clients returning her sales call. I hung up, but started skimming through her contact list.

"Uh, excuse me. What do you think you're doing? That's not your phone."

"Technically, it is. It's a C&M issued phone, and I pay the bills." As I was still breezing through her list, Alice continued to talk.

"Are you looking for something important, Mr. Masen? An ex-boyfriend perhaps? If so, you're looking at the wrong phone."

"What are you talking about – an ex-boyfriend? How do you know about an ex-boyfriend?"

Was Bella really dating a man named Scotty? Or was it that fucker James? My rage burned inside me, forcing a fist to form and punch the wall behind me. "Mother fucker!"

Damn, that hurt! My hand throbbed, but I didn't care. Why did she continue to lie to me? Or did she?

"Edward! My God, what the hell has gotten in to you? Are you all right?" Alice shot right out of her chair. "Let me look at that hand!"

"Who called her, Alice? What was his name?" My hand was swelling fast, but I didn't care.

"Hell, Edward. I don't know. Some man just called her. That's why she ran out of here all of a sudden, hence the dropping of her cell phone."

That peaked my curiosity. I tried to pull my phone out of my right pocket, but couldn't with my sore hand. Alice saw I was having a little trouble, so she walked over to me, putting her hand in my front pocket.

"Don't worry, Edward. I think little Eddie has gotten enough action recently, so don't get your hopes up." She winked at me as she pulled my phone out. "Who do you want to call?"

"Hit two on speed dial please, and then hand it to me."

She did, and I got Will immediately.

"You got her in sight?" Will said she had just gotten back in her cab. "Stay with her. I'm right behind you."

"Edward, what's going on? Why are you having Marie followed? Damn, are you that possessive you have to stalk the poor girl?"

Fortunately, my car keys were in my left pocket, so I dug them out, throwing them to Alice. "How good are you at driving a stick shift?"

"Um, pretty good, why?"

"Because you're driving, and you'd better be fast because I'm in a damn hurry. Let's go!"

Alice talked non-stop the whole way until we reached the garage. "Which one is yours?"

"The yellow Porsche. Hurry up!"

"Yippee! I've always wanted a yellow Porsche. This is my lucky day!" She squealed like a little kid, and I thought to myself I'd give her the damn car if she got us to our destination in one piece and to see Bella meeting with Jimmy or this pretend Scotty person.

I dialed up Will to get an update on which direction Bella was headed. Apparently, she was only about seven minutes ahead of us, which was great, but traffic was getting a bit heavy. Will told us which streets to take while I relayed them back to Alice.

She drove like a pro, dodging in and out of lanes, shifting gears like she'd done this all her life. I was quite proud of her and decided to let her keep the car when we arrived at a very public strip mall on a busy intersection.

It was quite surprising because I thought the two of them would be meeting in seclusion somewhere, like a quiet dock or storage unit. I had Alice park way back in the parking lot as I could now see Bella getting out of her cab. She ducked her head so it was level to the man, handing him some money and then he drove off. Obviously, she didn't want the cab driver to stay.

Will was parked right behind me, and we both waited a few minutes to see who the mysterious stranger was going to be when Alice spoke up.

"So what is this all about, anyway? Are you going to let me in on what's going on here?"

"Ssshh. I'm just curious to see who she's meeting, that's all. If it is an ex-boyfriend, I want to see what my competition looks like." I lied, but I also knew it would appease her for the moment. While we were waiting, I combed through her call list still hoping to see Jimmy's name pop up somewhere.

"You're incorrigible, you know that? Besides, you're probably wasting your time. That's Marie's business phone; if she had any personal calls, she'd be using her other phone." Alice peered out the window, still looking at Marie and wondering what the hell was happening.

"What other phone?" Shit, why didn't I realize she would have another phone? Why couldn't she have dropped that one?

Another car finally pulled up beside Bella, and sure enough, fuckwad Jimmy strides out of it, grinning like a damn Cheshire cat.

"Ooh, he's gross looking. Are you sure that's her ex-boyfriend? His hair is longer than Rosalie's. Greasier too."

We both stared out the windshield with our windows cracked, but we parked too far back to hear anything. I just wanted to reassure myself if she met with him again, that I could follow him back to whatever cave he drove back to. Between Will and Alice, we'd definitely find out where this asshole was hiding out.

A black sedan drove up beside Bella, but she never noticed; if she did, she didn't acknowledge it, because Jimmy had just handed her a large manila envelope. I figured it was a huge pay out, however, I wondered where he would get that kind of money. It wasn't though.

She pulled out what looked like a bunch of photos, skimming through them one by one when the man in the sedan jumped out of the passenger seat, suddenly coming up behind her with a white cloth in his hand, and covering her mouth with it. Bella fought, elbowing the guy in the gut while stomping on his foot with her stiletto, but he still hung on to her. Jimmy grabbed her arms, trying to pin them to her side.

Alice was screaming, reaching for the car door, when I pulled her back.

"Wait. These guys will have guns, Alice, and you'll get shot for sure. Hang on. We'll follow them!"

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. What the hell is going on? He must be double crossing her too, and just as I was about to get out to help her, she slumped over, obviously succumbing to the chloroform the other man put on her face. They both shoved her in the back of the car, and the driver sped off.

"Oh my God! Edward, do something. I can't believe this. What the hell is going on?" Alice was becoming highly agitated, and I tried to quiet her down because she needed to drive.

"Alice, calm down and listen to me. I want you to follow the black sedan, okay? I'm getting Will on the phone now to follow the other guy. You need to get a hold of yourself, because we need to act fast. Just follow them, and whatever you do, don't lose them!"

She peeled out of the parking lot trying to get behind the sedan which was now dodging in and out of traffic like a damn trained racecar driver. I got Will on the phone who was following James in the opposite direction.

The chase went on for a few miles with Alice sweating bullets and with me still trying to figure out this mess in my head. "Would you mind filling me in on why my friend, and your girlfriend, just got kidnapped right in front of us? This is insane!"

"I don't have time to explain right now, Alice. We need to save her, and I'm afraid I might've been wrong about her all this time. Just floor it, and don't lose sight of him!"

My phone rang out, and I prayed Will had found Jimmy's hideout or at least caused him to wreck and kill himself. Unfortunately, he told me he got stuck by a train and Jimmy escaped him. This was unbelievable.

We avoided pedestrians as best we could, weaving in and out of road blockades, swerving this way and that until the sedan turned a corner literally on two of its wheels right in front of a school bus. Alice slammed on her brakes, the air bags busting out of its confinements as we were suddenly engulfed in dust.

"Fuck!" I looked over at Alice who was coughing her head off, but okay, thank goodness. We were a little shaken up but otherwise intact.

Once she stopped, we both looked at each other sullenly. We'd lost her; just liked I lost my mother, Tanya and Jasper.

James had won.

**A/N: I wanted to thank everyone for putting me on story and author alert. It gives me warm fuzzies! I loved the reviews I received and will try and answer them soon. Thank you so much. You all inspire me to write and I appreciate you all reading! Next chapter will probably be up in a week or so. Thanks for sticking with me!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just own this crazy, dramatic love story.**

**Thanks to my betas Ange and Kristen – they're the best!**

**Okay, so what the heck happened to Bella? We're about to find out. Many thanks to those of you putting me alerts and for the reviews. LOVE reviews – writers like feedback, especially warm and fuzzy ones. **

**Chapter 27 – Tight Situations**

BPOV

A throbbing pain shot through the back of my neck as I slowly opened my eyes; however, I saw nothing but darkness around me. Beside me I heard a rustling sound, almost as if some kind of plastic bag was being opened. My back was leaning against a cold wall, and when I tried to move my legs, I could feel my ankles were tied together.

What the hell happened to me? My stomach growled, reminding me it must have been awhile since I'd eaten anything, but given my whereabouts, I'd doubt if I was able to fill my stomach anytime soon. Thinking back to the last thing I remembered, my heart started beating quickly when I vaguely recalled James showing me photographs of various dead people; all of which he blamed on Edward. Suddenly, someone touched me on my shoulder. I couldn't move quickly like I wanted; hell, I could hardly move at all, finding out that my hands were tied up as well.

"Open up, lady. Boss man says you need to eat something."

I still couldn't see anything in this darkness, but I didn't know if that was because it actually was dark, or something was over my eyes. I didn't feel anything over them at the moment, but I was pretty numb all over, which made me guess I'd been sitting in this position for awhile.

I opened my mouth to tell him to go fuck himself even though I was starving, but no words came out. They must've drugged me with something strong because I currently had no use of my vocal cords. Instead, something was shoved in my mouth which almost made me gag on the spot. The sweet taste of creamy preservatives warmed my taste buds as some kind of snack cake started to melt in my mouth. At least it wasn't something I hated like those little cream filled wafer snacks.

The man stuffed in another bite and started speaking to me as I chewed. "About time you woke up. Boss was getting worried that I had given you too much chloroform. I told him I had researched it enough to know what I was doing, but he thinks I'm just stupid."

Chloroform. That's why my memory was foggy, and my head was killing me. My mind gradually started remembering what happened as the man told me to open up again for another bite. The week was fuzzy, but I sure as hell recalled the hot sex with Edward - in my office. And it was wonderful. Why the fuck can't I get him out of my system?

He still had an attitude when he first arrived in my office which led me to believe he was still pissed at my alias, which is quite minimal to what his reaction will actually be when he finds out I'm throwing him in jail. If there was any way out for Edward, I wished I could find it. We had finally said those three little words to each other and now, after everything he's done, he wanted to get out of the business – for me. He was willing to give up the empire he'd established because of our relationship, and in the condition I'm in right now, it'd be a dream come true.

Ugh. Then the red headed bitch came into view and the god forsaken trench coat she wore. His hands tugging on her while she kissed him before I barged in made me want to pull each strand of her hair out one by one. There was a dinner too; a business dinner where Edward and I bantered back and forth until I stupidly poured my heart out. I was such an idiot.

Man, I'd fucked up so many things in this assignment. I let my emotions rule too much and now, I've really got myself in a bad situation. How am I going to get out of this one?

My butt was sore from sitting in this position; my hands and feet feeling the pain too as I began to feel the rope burns on both of them. I tried to clear my throat which was a little difficult, but I could feel the sound coming back.

"You had enough yet? I got to save the last pack for the other . . . visitors. For some reason, boss man likes you the best, so I was supposed to give you as much as you wanted." I nodded, and the man started to get up, but instead he got right up next to my ear and whispered. "He's treating you mighty special, because he has big plans for you. You'd better eat as much as you can to keep up your strength, if you know what I mean." The breath on this man was horrid and it was all I could do not to throw up all over him.

Holding my breath in as much as I could, I whispered back to him. What came out was a deep, raspy question as my voice was still trying to find its way back to normal.

"Who's your boss?"

It wasn't like I didn't know, but I needed confirmation. James showed me something before I was grabbed from behind but I couldn't remember exactly what it was. It infuriated me, but I knew I'd think of it sooner or later.

"You'll find out in due time, my dear." The nasty man stood up, assumingly taking the other snack packages with him, his footsteps diminished as he got further away.

If that filthy ass James thought he was going to have his way with me, he's got another thing coming. Also, if I had known I was given most of the food, I wouldn't have eaten so many of them. However, with my voice just returning, I couldn't have told him I was full.

So there were others held hostage as well. Interesting. I knew I could get out of these ropes, but I needed to try and keep my food down. I had no idea how long I was unconscious, so I needed the energy to get up before the dizziness would set in my body.

Screaming could be heard right outside the room where I was being held, and it didn't sound pretty. A man with a southern drawl shouted something about wanting to talk to the man in charge, and another voice told him to shut the fuck up. I knew I couldn't wait too long to get out of these rope ties, but I needed to get my bearings first. Feeling started coming back as I moved my body around, falling to my left side as I wriggled around a little. It was then that I felt the blindfold around my head.

What the hell did James want me for? I mean, I knew he was a little loony in college, but this? This was a whole new level of madness. It sounded like he had a few of us hostage, but for what reason? My head started pounding as I began to stress out about this. What if I couldn't get out of this? I had a lot of decisions to make, and I hadn't had a chance to really think about any of them. Maybe God had other plans for me; things looked a little bleak and while I usually was a strong person, my emotions started getting the best of me.

As I laid there for a minute, the voices got louder as more shouting ensued. There was a loud noise that sounded like someone being thrown against a wall and then something crashing down on another body as the cursing got louder and louder. Furniture was being smashed, and a gunshot rang out, followed by a blood curdling scream.

I pushed the side of my head against the floor, forcing the blindfold off my face, revealing the shithole where I was being held. Ugh. The floor was riddled with food wrappers and fast food cups, which seemed to have gathered the attention of every cockroach in Florida. Not that it would have taken much anyway. Those nasty, brown insects thrived in this state.

Looking down at myself, I still wore the once beautiful dress Alice had bought me for the business dinner which was now filthy and torn on the side. She was totally going to kill me.

Part of my FBI training included getting out of the tightest situations, especially those where you were hogtied. I'd be out of these ropes in no time. I brought my legs up toward my hands, sticking my stiletto heel up and in through the tight knot around my wrists. As I almost had it undone, the door busted in, and a man came running at me. Immediately, I acted like I had just fallen over, still drugged out and delirious.

"Get up now, girl. We're moving again." The man yelled at me, yanking me up under my arm, instantly making me lightheaded. I hobbled up to me feet as the man let go of me to walk out the door. While he was turned around, my tied hands reached up over his head, tightening around his neck as quick as I could. The man reached up to grab my arms, tried to pull me over his shoulder, but I had a pretty firm grip which made him gag profusely. My knuckles pushed up right under his Adams apple, cutting off all his oxygen, making him collapse instantly. One down, many to go.

I searched his pockets for a knife or something sharp while pushing the door closed, because I didn't want anyone else barging in here before I got untied. There was nothing in his pockets, but I quickly pulled up his pants leg knowing the man had to be armed somewhere. Sure enough, he had a small hunting knife in a holster around his ankle, so I snatched it, managing to put the knife sharp edge up between my legs and cutting through the rope on my hands.

As I was getting up, I realized I had to dispose of the dead man, so for the time being, I pushed his body into the empty closet then shut the door behind me.

**There were more voices in the hallway which made me move myself behind the door in** case anyone else decided to barge in again. I was halfway through slicing apart the ankle ties, when I heard someone enter through the front door of the house. Keys were thrown onto some sort of surface as voices were being raised, and I assumed someone was getting an ass chewing about the ruckus which just occurred.

Still lying on the floor, I put my head down near the door so I could hear what they were saying.

"Boss, he was out like a light one minute, then the next thing I know, my feet are thrown out from under me, and I came crashing down hard on my right side. The fucker came toward me and sat on my chest so hard that I couldn't get any air. I didn't have any choice but to shoot the prick!" The man's voice resonated toward the back of the tin shack where we were being held, and then I heard the all too familiar voice speak in return.

"Listen, I told you no one was to be shot unless I did the shooting. Doesn't anybody fucking listen to me anymore?" James' voice was loud, and I pictured him sticking his finger in his chest as he yelled at him. "Dammit, how bad is it? Is he conscious, or do I have to go and throw him to the fish in the lake out back?"

A different voice spoke this time. "I made it there in time before Bradley here began to start shooting again. I took the gun away from him when I heard it go off. The man is going in and out of consciousness I think. His wound isn't too bad unless we let it go for a long time without it being checked."

While the talking was going on, I decided to quietly sneak in on the guy to check on him. Peering out in the hallway, I saw that the table was not in my line of sight which meant I could slither over to the other room without getting seen.

When I approached the room, the smell of blood overtook my senses which almost made me gag. I put my hand over my mouth and ran over to the corner where a man about my age was sitting against the wall, sweat dripping off his face, making his blonde wavy hair wet and stringy.

I still had the knife with me, so I hurriedly took it out, cutting off part of the man's shirt to make a tourniquet for his leg. Then I cut off the section of his jeans where the hole appeared from the bullet to examine his wound. The good news was it went straight through, so nothing was lodged there to create any more infection. However, he needed treatment soon, or it would get gangrene.

The man was handsome with his squared off jaw and nice complexion but he was very pale from the blood loss. When I took the scrap material from his shirt and started to tie it above the bullet wound, he started to wake up.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he said through closed teeth, so low I hardly heard him. The man's eyes were barely opened as his jaw tightened, grimacing through his obvious pain.

"I'm trying to stop the blood. Don't talk; you'll waste your energy. This will help you, but you have to stay still. How many men are we dealing with?" His breathing started to pick up as he tried to push himself upright, realizing I wasn't the enemy here.

"I've counted six different men so far. Who are you anyway? You look familiar, but I don't know why." The man spoke with a southern accent, but the weakness in his voice was prevalent.

"My name is Bella, and I'm an FBI agent. Listen, I don't have much time because they think I'm still knocked out, so we need to form a plan. Do you think you can make a run for help if I can stall these guys long enough?" I took out the knife and began to cut the ropes off his ankles, then his wrists which were tied behind his back.

"Yeah, it's nothing I haven't had before. Thanks for the makeshift tourniquet. That'll help. Do you know who these idiots are and what they want with us? I don't recognize any of them, and they won't give me a straight answer."

Silently, I wondered who the hell this man was and why he thought he knew me. His face wasn't familiar, neither was his name. "I know who their boss is, but I'm not sure what they're up to. I might need you to take care of a couple of them while I distract the others. The keys are on the kitchen table, so I'm counting on you to rescue me later. Got it?" The blonde man looked at me with a defeated expression; I could tell he didn't think I'd make it out of here alive. "I need you to remember this badge number when I give it to you, okay?" The man's head tilted down a little, which was a sign he was fading fast, so he really needed to get out of here. "Call Charlie Swan, badge number 995480. He's with the FBI, and he can rescue me. How many hostages are here?"

"I think there's one other person here besides you. They haven't made a sound though, so I'm doubtful about their state of mind. The person isn't dead yet because one man goes in and feeds them. I'll do my best to get you out. Listen, thank you for helping me, and I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."

Suddenly, the voices got louder in the kitchen. "I can't believe I hired a bunch of fucking imbeciles. Why can't any of you do anything right? I should just shoot every fucking one of you right now. Did you even think how much ransom we could get for him? He's worth more to us alive than dead, so he'd better not bleed to death!"

I heard the front door slam shut and James' voice dying out which made me realize now was as good as time as any.

I suddenly realized I didn't get the man's name. "Hey, . . . uh, I don't know your name."

"Jasper. My name's Jasper Whitlock."

"Looks like an opportunity just arose, Jasper. James is their boss, and he just went outside. That leaves five now, so I'm going to fake an episode to distract them. Hopefully, you won't have to deal with anyone but James who is a real psycho by the way. Sounds like he doesn't want you dead, so if you can disable him somehow, and make a run for it, I'll do my best to keep the idiots busy."

Jasper took my hand in his. "Bella, don't worry; I'll be back with reinforcements."

I kept looking back at the door, making sure we were not being watched. "I know you will. Oh, I forgot. Take the knife. You're going to need it."

"Wait, what about you? Do you have another weapon?" Jasper started looking a little better which made me have a little hope for him.

"No, I'm fine. You just need to get out of here. Good luck!"

I peeked out the door and saw a few of the men huddled together like they were hatching a plan of their own. Hmm. Maybe they were tired of being call useless and fucking idiots. Well, Bella, I think it's about time to start being a little manipulative myself.

Sneaking back to my room, I pulled the dead body out of the closet so it was placed right in front of me as I sat in the corner. Afterwards, I tied the rope snugly around my hands and feet, but not so tight I couldn't get out of them later. The man had only been dead for a few minutes, but it was long enough for no one to be able to revive him. However, they didn't know that.

I positioned myself on top of the man, and then let out a terrifying scream. It was mere seconds that all the men ran into my room, hovering over me while I tried to press on the man's chest as if to give him CPR.

"I don't know what happened! He just grabbed his chest and fell over. He was being really nice to me, offering me some food and a drink of water when suddenly he just grabbed at his chest, gasping for air!"

All the men just stared at me, and finally one of them pulled up the dead man's head as if to give him room to breathe. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper sneak out of his room towards the kitchen, and I silently prayed he made it out the door without James seeing him. I didn't know where James was, but I hoped I could save one innocent life today.

"Get off him, lady, and let me work on him!" One of the men shoved me off the dead man, and I fell on my side, feigning pain.

"Owwwww!" I yelled out, but they weren't paying any attention to me as they were busy beating on the guy's chest.

"C'mon, Rodney. Breathe, dammit. You're going to be fine." One man took over sitting on his chest while one was at his head, and another took his feet, raising them high.

"What are you raising his feet up for? That's not going to help anything, you idiot."

"No, I saw once on The Doctors that raising your feet helps circulate blood flow."

"He's obviously had a heart attack you fool, that's not going to help anything!" The man who was currently beating on the dead man's chest actually said something halfway intelligent, despite the fact he was pounding on someone he had yet to check the pulse of.

I was hoping by now Jasper had gotten away. I hadn't heard any gunshots, so that was a good sign. With all the commotion and yelling, I didn't hear a car drive away, making me curious of his status.

One of the other men spoke up. "Turn him over; he's getting blue in the face. Maybe he choked on something. Ralph, sit him up and do the Heimlich thingy on him."

The dead man wasn't skinny; therefore it took three of them to turn him over while the other two watched in dismay. Then one of them got behind him and started giving him the Heimlich while we all sat and watched.

Jasper should have ample enough time by now to escape. One of the men rose up and turned toward the door when I spoke up. He was a short, stout man who reminded me of Chef Boy R Dee for some reason. He had this grayish moustache and was definitely the older one of the bunch. "Where are you going? He's dying and you're leaving? What's wrong with you?" Shit, I didn't want Jasper to deal with any more people than he needed to, so I had to stall him.

"The cell phones don't work in here which means I have to go outside to call the boss. He went to get supplies down the road. Shit! He's not going to be happy about this. We're in so much trouble." He looked at his co-horts as he spoke, but they just ignored him as they continued to work on the dead guy.

"If you're referring to James, the man who just yelled at you guys for ten minutes calling you all idiots and imbeciles, then yes, you're right. He won't be happy about this. You know what I would do? I wouldn't call him. Why do you all let him treat you like that? He sounds like a real prick."

The chubby man looked surprised I heard their conversation earlier. "He is a prick, but there's nothing much we can do. He's paying us to do all his dirty work, but we need the money. Once he sees Rodney dead, he's probably going to kill us on the spot. Maybe even you too."

My eyebrows raised as the severity of James realm of terror sunk in to me. At that moment, I suddenly remembered the pictures he showed me when I was kidnapped. Dead people. A couple of them I had seen through the newswire service and also through Charlie. James had said it was Edward who had killed them, but why would he say that? Better yet, why did he have to tell me? I had to figure out the James/Edward connection before things got more out of hand than they already were.

He desperately needed to be stopped. "Ever think of getting back at him? You know, a little retribution, perhaps?"

The man huffed as he shuffled closer to me. "All the time. None of us here have big enough balls to do it. He's got more power than you think, lady. He'll have us killed in a heartbeat."

With that being said, he turned on his heels and walked out of the room. Finally the men felt for a pulse, and deciding he was pretty much dead, stopped reviving him. I hunkered back down in my corner, thinking silently to myself that dealing with James wasn't going to be as easy as I thought.

**. . .**

EPOV

"Okay, Alice. Let's go over this one more time. What letter did you think was next?" I asked, my hands running through my hair for the fiftieth time since we returned.

The car we had chased around Miami earlier had been going so fast, neither I nor Alice caught the license plate number. Truth be told, we were more worried about catching up to them than writing the number down. As I paced back and forth, I kept trying to remember the damn order of the letters and numbers that I didn't hear Alice speaking.

"What do you think, Edward?" Alice looked as worn out as I did, with her hair all disheveled, her high heels now sitting on the floor next to the chair and dark circles slowly appearing below her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Alice. I didn't hear a word you said. What was that?"

She yawned for a few seconds before she spoke. "I said we might as well call it a day. We're no good to Marie half awake. Besides, we need our rest so we can have a clearer head tomorrow. Maybe we'll remember the numbers better then."

"No, I can't sleep. You go ahead home." We came straight back to the office instead of my house in case that fucker James had bugged it or something. Alice walked lazily over to the nearest couch in Emmett's office, plopping herself down.

"Edward, you have to get some sleep. Tomorrow is another day and you'll be able to focus better. I'm totally maxed out; my brain is on overdrive with all the information you just gave me about your past; it's giving me a migraine."

Naturally, Alice had lots of questions about what the hell went on this afternoon with Bella getting kidnapped right in front of our eyes. She couldn't believe someone would just chloroform a person in broad daylight, but I'd seen it done more times than I could count. Unfortunately, I even carried out a couple of those orders myself.

Filling Alice in on Jimmy, my mother, Jasper and others involved in my life made for a fitting conversation to say the least. I could tell she was trying not to be judgmental about the whole thing, but her curiosity was winning out. She had questions about my childhood, why I hung out with lowlife when I had a bright future ahead of me, and why Jimmy was so hell bent on making my life so miserable. I couldn't tell Alice about our drug business; one less person mixed up in this whole mess the better. That's another reason why I couldn't go to my house; Alice could very well be the next person to be pinpointed.

"There's got to be something we missed. What about the guy driving the black sedan? Did you notice any weird piercings, tattoos, anything like that? If we can't remember the license plate number, we could try to locate a marking of some sort on him."

The clock on the wall said it was two thirty in the morning. No phone call or anything from Jimmy which I knew couldn't be a good thing. All kinds of bad thoughts passed through my head. Would I be receiving a call telling me Jasper and Bella were dead? _My God, what have I done? _

_Lord, I know I don't talk to you very much; well, actually not at all, so I'm going to try and make up for lost time here. Please, please let them come home safely, Lord. I promise I'll never do another bad thing in my life ever again. Bella's a great woman, and she doesn't deserve this; if you need to take someone, take me please. I know I'm not the best substitute, however; I could do all your errands for you. Just bring them home safely. Amen._

I wondered silently why God would listen to me, but as I've heard by many televangelists, He's supposed to forgive us our sins. Maybe that would include someone as bad as me too. Throwing myself on the other couch, I took a look over at Alice who was sound asleep. She had a rough night as well; her best friend and co-worker was kidnapped right before her eyes, and I was positive she hadn't seen anything like it before. She seemed quite helpless just like I did.

While I lay there, reality hit me like a ton of bricks. My eyes shut tightly, and suddenly warm tears trickled down my face. I hadn't allowed myself to cry since the night my mother died, making me fully comprehend the extent of my dire situation. Bella was gone, possibly beaten profusely all because of me. She had nothing at all to do with this like I previously thought. All this time I had her pegged as someone who was dead set on helping that scumbag get revenge on me when that wasn't the case at all.

I should've realized her feelings were honest and sincere when the whole Victoria debacle went down a couple days ago. The expression on her face when she walked in on us wasn't one of deviousness, but of sheer shock. I totally hadn't planned for any of it to happen; hell, Victoria had never come to my office before. Ever. Come to think of it, it made me curious as hell to her real motives. When Bella took off down the hall, my first instincts were to run after her; not once did I ever think of hurting her any more than I just did. The tears in her eyes conveyed to me I was a complete fool.

She was a victim in this as well – and I needed to find her. My heartbeat sped up as I thought to how Bella could be suffering in the hands of Jimmy's hired hands right now. I swear, as God as my witness, I would follow him to the ends of the earth, hunting him down until my dying day.

Wiping my eyes with my shirt sleeve, I raised up, ready more than ever to find her and bring her back home where she belonged. If we make a go of this, whatever this was, then I would be her knight in shining armor and ride that damn white horse to rescue my damsel in distress. As corny as my thoughts were, my feelings were stronger than ever. I wanted this. I wanted her; and the more I thought about it there was nothing else in the world I wanted more.

My tired feet touched the floor as my left hand ran through my hair once again. The ache in my right hand had nothing on the ache I had in my heart right now. I would have to live with it until I could get a handle on Bella's location; saving her from the pain she might be currently enduring.

Pinching the bridge of my nose helped me focus for a moment. Maybe it was time to call in some reinforcements. Bella was going to need support not only from me, but also her family.

I remember her briefly talking about her parents; hopefully, I could somehow contact them without letting them know her predicament. Would she have tried to reach out to her father? She talked about him quite frequently which led me to believe they were very close.

Grabbing the keys off my desk, I found the master and ran down the hallway to Bella's office. She had to have some personal files on her desktop computer which could lead me to her closest relatives. Putting the key in the lock, I twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open, hearing it smash against the wall with its force. While her computer was booting up, I pulled open her file drawer which she thankfully forgot to lock. I rummaged through it with one hand, finding nothing of importance when her password screen appeared on the screen. Assuming that would happen, I picked up the phone to call the head of our IT department knowing that he'd be pissed as hell to hear from me in the middle of the night. I really didn't care because I paid his damn salary, so he would do whatever I told him to do; especially in an emergency like this.

When he picked up the phone, I halfway told him the truth, filling him in on "Marie's" sudden departure and needing her important files right away. Luckily, he could access our mainframe from his house which is why I hired him in the first place. In a matter of minutes, he had me patched through; bypassing every password she had in every one of her programs. I hung up after apologizing to him and went to work through all Bella's contacts, email and otherwise.

After searching for about an hour, I gave up. Nothing in this computer had anything personal in it, which was highly strange. Doesn't everyone send some kind of personal email to friends or family every now and then? She had to have another computer somewhere, so I started exploring every inch of her office. Oddly enough, everything was in its place; no laptops, no rolodex, nothing to verify her background or relatives in any way. Hell, I even looked under the couch and between the cushions, not even finding a damn penny.

Another thought came to me. The only other place I was going to find anything personal on Bella was her apartment. I hated to have to break in there, but I really didn't have an alternative at the moment.

Snatching a notepad, I slowly scrawled out a short note to Alice letting her know where I was going. Being wounded in your writing hand was quite a disadvantage. Running out of Bella's office, I threw the notepad on Alice's desk and took off to her condo.

I arrived in record time and buzzed Raffi, my bodyguard who was still guarding her neighbor's apartment to come down and let me in the locked door. He wasn't thrilled either; apparently he'd been sleeping on the couch when I woke his sorry ass up.

"You're supposed to be guarding the door anyway, asshole." I firmly stated as he grumpily let me in the door.

"I can't stay awake twenty-four hours a day, boss. Besides, I've gotten kinda cozy with her. She's really a nice woman and after standing guard protecting her over the past couple of weeks, we've gotten to know each other a little better – if you know what I mean." Raffi had a grin on his face the size of Texas, winking at me in the process.

I knew exactly what he was talking about. Bella meant the world to me, especially now since the thought of losing her scared the living shit out of me. It just made me more determined to find out some information in her apartment to locate her family and friends in case something happened to her.

We got off the elevator, and I took out my box which contained my lock picks. I had to admit I'd gotten pretty good at gaining entrance to any door of my choosing over the years. Bella's door should be a cinch. Raffi stood guard while I examined the lock, then chose the specific pick to do the job. I was in her condo in less than four seconds, a personal best.

"Nice job, boss." Raffi whispered while patting me on the back.

"Thanks. I got it from here. Go back to your girl." I shook his hand and proceeded to go into the apartment, flicking on the light switch.

"No problem. If you need anything, just come and get me. I owe you one."

"Got it."

It seemed like ages since I'd been in her condo and looking around the living room made it seem all too real she's not coming back anytime soon. That wouldn't be the case if I could help it. Her scent was everywhere giving me a sinking feeling. I missed the hell out of her, which was only going to make me more determined to find her. Her laptop lay on her coffee table which was great, but I didn't have my IT guy here to help me get around her password. She had to have some other things laying around here with someone's phone number on it.

Everyone sticks pictures and shit on their refrigerator, so I walked over to the kitchen to check it out. Unfortunately, there wasn't a damn thing on it. Come to think of it, the whole condo was pretty bare with no personal pictures or sentimental mementos anywhere.

Out of curiosity, I decided to open up the refrigerator, so I pulled the door open. Damn! It resembled the apartment to a tee. She barely had anything in there to eat, let alone live on. All I saw was some condiments, a couple yogurts, a carton of leftover Chinese food, and about five liters of ginger ale. Man, does this girl ever eat? Looking in the pantry, she had some of canned food but mainly saltines. I remembered Alice telling me she had the flu, which explained the ginger ale and crackers.

I figured I would snack on them while snooping, so I pulled them out, unwrapping and carrying them around the apartment with me while I kept looking for some phone numbers. While I walked around munching on her crackers, I thought back to the first time we had sex. She was so hot that night, and it took every ounce of restraint I had not to take her in the hallway. I had to get her back.

Climbing the stairs, I reached her bedroom, noticing how tidy it was as well but didn't dwell on it. I finally spotted a picture on her nightstand of her and an older man, which I assumed was her father. They seemed happy, hugging each other in front of some building I didn't recognize. Opening up her closet door, I noticed she still had clothes hanging in it, so that was a good sign. Suddenly, her home phone rung, but I waited to see who was calling to in case if it was anyone from her family. I continued my snooping, picking up another photo on her dresser.

This one was a group picture of police officers standing in front of the White House. Well, that was certainly interesting. Staring for a minute, my eyes focused on the short girl in the front row with long brown hair, when I heard a voice over her machine speak out.

"Bells, you there? Listen, we got him. I can't believe it, but we finally have Emmett Cullen in custody, baby. It's all because of you, sweetheart. You've done an excellent job, and I know we have one more to go. We're so close and then you can come back home and take that much needed break . . ."

What the fuck? The pieces started falling into place quickly. Her reluctance to speak about her past, her fighting skills, knowing we were being followed that night. It all made sense. All this time I thought she was fucking Jimmy when actually she was after me to throw my ass in jail.

Not thinking clearly, I grabbed the phone as quick as I could before he hung up.

"Mr. Swan? You need to get to Miami as soon as possible. Your daughter's been kidnapped."

I hung up the phone as fast as I picked it up. No more words would come out of my mouth, and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Darting to the bathroom, I bent my head over the trashcan getting ready to throw up the contents in my stomach when something caught my eye.

Swallowing very slowly, I cautiously picked up the trashcan, fishing out the small white stick sitting on top of some used tissues and cotton balls. Picking it up, I could do nothing but stare at the positive sign glaring me in the face.

This changes everything.

XXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**A/N: Well, most of you guessed right about Bella being pregnant. I couldn't resist; it makes the story that more juicy. It also changes Edward's attitude as well because he's going to be a daddy. I wonder how he'll feel about that? Let me know if you want to guess! Reviews are awesome and make me do a happy dance.**


	29. Chapter 29

**OMG – sorry for the long wait but I just got busy with "life stuff." Also, I am only one other chapter ahead so my brain is on overdrive. Thanks for all my reviews again! You make me all kinds of happy that I'm doing the happy dance. So, on with the show. Guess what? Edward and Charlie finally meet! I wonder what will happen?**

**Chapter 28 – Daddy Dearest**

EPOV

I still sat on Bella's bathroom floor mesmerized by the little white stick I held in my hand. Twirling it around and around, tapping it on the top of my hand, or tossing it side to side didn't make the plus sign go away. Not that I wanted it to or anything, but the suggested meaning of those two little perpendicular lines were so monumental I actually couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I was going to be a father.

How did this happen? Not that I wasn't schooled in the birds and the bees, but we were careful every time. I had stopped using the condoms because Bella was taking care of the birth control. We had gotten over the trust factor of our relationship when she told me she was on the pill, so what went wrong?

Suddenly, it all made sense. Bella caught a bug a couple months back which required antibiotics. I remember one of my dock workers telling me his wife got pregnant when she took those, making the pill lost its effectiveness.

Her losing weight, the paleness, and Alice warning me about her having the flu − why didn't I see the signs? I remember Emmett telling me she kept throwing up in Vegas too. He thought she had stage fright, but obviously, that wasn't the case.

I had never envisioned myself with a wife and kids before, but for some reason, the thought of it didn't disturb me like I thought it would. Maybe it was because I never thought I'd see myself falling in love with someone enough to want to create a human being together. It was strange; this feeling I had right now was unlike any other emotion I'd ever experienced. Tingling sensations took over my body, overwhelming every cell in my body which only made me realize one thing.

I was fucking ecstatic about becoming a dad. However, there was one problem. One huge problem.

The mother of my unborn child had been kidnapped, possibly beaten and definitely drugged. Would the baby still be alive? Hell, Bella could be left for dead, her body washed ashore any day now since that fucking lunatic James snatched her right in front of me.

My hands balled up at the sides of my head, pulling hard at my now really messed up hair. I cringed a little, my right hand still killing me from punching the wall, but the pain was minimal to what I felt inside my gut right now. I finally had a chance at happiness; an opportunity to have a family, a real family and James comes up, stealing it all away from me.

I chuckled out loud. Damn, who was I kidding? He didn't steal it from me. I stole it from myself. I was a fool for thinking I could be in my child's life. Hell, Bella was probably all set to arrest me when she found out she was pregnant, and it all went to hell in a hand basket. Somehow, it was more comforting to know she was throwing me in jail rather than teaming up with James. I knew how ironic it sounded, but it was true.

I needed to pay for my actions and man the hell up – especially now. No, I wouldn't put Bella through all of that; I'd gladly turn myself in just to know she'd be all right. Both her and the baby needed to live a better life; one which wouldn't be full of sleazy scumbag dealers or traitorous competitors beating down her door. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to them which was why I needed to get a grip and start a search party.

The ringing of my cell phone dragged me out of my self induced anguish long enough for me to slightly care who was calling. It was probably Alice, wondering where the hell I went without her and why I left her so quickly.

Pulling it out of my pocket, I noticed the time was close to six am. Had I been sitting on the bathroom floor this long? Not recognizing the number, I assumed the only person calling me at this hour was James, so I blew out a nervous breath before answering it. I wanted to kill him – slowly – but if I lost my temper now, who knows what he'd do to Bella – and our baby.

"Hello?" I answered it timidly; almost afraid of what he was going to say to me.

"Oh my God, I'm so glad you answered. I was afraid it'd go straight to voicemail." A familiar voice talked on the other end, but it was a little muffled with lots of heavy breathing. "Edward, I escaped him. I'm not in great condition now, so I need to get to a hospital. Can you meet me at Miami General?"

"Jasper? Is this really you?" My heart sped fast as my buddy's voice filled me with encouragement.

He chuckled a little, but I could still tell he was badly hurt. "Yeah, man, but I really need a doctor. Those fuckers shot my leg and beat me pretty good. You sure have one psycho of an old friend, I'll tell ya that. Things are real fuzzy though.

I got up from the cold floor, my attitude and demeanor changing dramatically. "You don't know how good it is to hear your voice. How'd you do it? How'd you get away from him?"

"I had help from an angel, Ed. No lie. I sort of remember lying on the floor, dehydrated, starved and beaten pretty badly. I think I was trying to get away when some fucker and I got into a fist fight, and the next thing I remember, he shoots me in the leg. I'm losing blood fast, man," Jasper's words were getting slower and starting to run together.

"Listen, are you close to the hospital? Don't wreck man. Just get there. I'll meet you as soon as I can, okay? I'll stay on the phone with you until you arrive." All the while we kept talking, I somehow managed to get my keys out of pocket and get down the elevator to my car.

We talked for the next fifteen minutes until I heard his breath get really staggered. His memory was for shit, too. "Jazz, you gotta stay with me, man. How much further are you?"

"Uh, I see one of those blue signs up ahead. Ed, I don't know if I can make it. I'm bleeding all over the place. Things are getting . . . blurry."

"PULL OVER! Give me a landmark. I'm close to the hospital." If I lose another close person, I swear I will lose my mind. Please, God, let him live. I'll do anything.

"Oh, I see . . . the hospital. Think I made it." His voice was super slow and soft at this point.

"Pull right into the emergency room entrance and fall on the horn. Someone will hear it and come out."

The car accelerated over 130 mph, one of the fastest speeds I've gone in an Audi for awhile but I had to get to him. Squealing around the corner, I saw the hospital ahead and people rushing out to a car from the entrance.

Thank God he made it. I saw medics carrying him in as I veered the car into the nearest parking spot. Running into the ER, I caught up with them, blurting out his name.

"Jasper! It's going to be all right. I'm here, man."

"Ed . . . so tired. An angel saved me. Pretty woman too – long brown hair, brown eyes . . ."

What the hell?

"Jazz, what was her name? Hurry, tell me her name!"

One of the orderly's shouted at me suddenly. "Sir, we need to get him into surgery. He's not going to make it if you keep talking to him. We'll be out later to talk to you."

"Just give me one second. Jazz, was the lady's name Bella? Just nod once if so."

Jasper's eyes were closing fast but as the medics whisked him away, I saw him give me a slight smile – and a nod.

The big doors shut on me. I tried opening them, but the damn things were locked tight. A receptionist stood up and stared at me as I kept trying to yank them open. Standing there like an idiot, I started pounding on them with my good hand, sobbing like some freaking immature idiot.

Bella. Oh. My. God. She was alive. I didn't know if I was crying tears of joy or sadness for my buddy who's possibly dying behind these closed doors. I sank down on my knees, tears flowing yet again down my face for the second time today. At least I knew she was alive which meant a possibility the baby was as well.

And she had helped Jasper escape. How the hell did she do that? Here she was, pregnant with our child, and she's out kicking ass and taking names. She managed to save Jasper somehow, but where was she? If he got away, why wasn't she here too?

My pounding got louder and faster.

"Sir, you can't go in there. Please take a seat."

"I need to see how my friend is doing. He has to make it. I need to ask him some more questions."

The lady was perturbed at this point. "Sir, I will get security in here right now if you don't stop pounding on the door. I mean it."

I finally stopped knowing my only good hand would be left like the other one if I didn't quit the pounding. A nurse walked by, noticing I was favoring my other hand.

"Sir, if you could come over here, maybe I can take a look at your hand, and you can also tell me the name of the patient who just went in there. We'll need some paperwork filled out on him as well." She peered down at my pathetic looking self with sorrowful eyes. I pushed myself up with my good hand, knowing I had to get a grip. I wasn't doing Jasper or Bella any good by having a mental breakdown.

After a half an hour of paperwork, the nurse took me back to examine my hand. She sent me on to x-ray another forty-five minutes later which helped pass the time. While I had the down time, I strategized how I was getting Bella back which was going to take a lot of manpower and experience.

And I knew exactly where it would come from; Charlie Swan. If we were going to team together to find Bella, I had to be the bigger man and work with the FBI, knowing full well they were hauling my ass to jail at some point. However, I had to persuade them to let me help find Bella first. It was my battle to fight; James was my enemy, not Bella's, and I'd do everything in my power to get her back home safe and sound.

Jasper was the key to finding Bella, so he just had to come out of this alive. He had to have the address of where they kept them; that is if they were still there.

The nurse finished with the x-ray and afterwards, I ran back over to the ER desk for any word on Jasper's condition. There wasn't any, so I made an executive decision. Someone had to stay with him here in the hospital while I assembled the search party over at Bella's condo. I dialed the only person I could think of at this particular moment.

She answered the phone in a split second.

"Edward! Where the hell did you take off to? What's going on? Did you find her? Is she okay?" Alice's questions never stopped when she nervous; hell, they never stopped at all so this wasn't any different.

"Alice, you need to slow down a bit. I need your help with something. To answer your questions, no, I haven't found her yet, but I'm working on it. Listen carefully because I know I woke you up. I need you to come down to Miami General and sit with a friend of mine. He's in pretty bad shape and probably getting ready to go into surgery but I can't wait any longer. I have to go find Be-Marie."

This whole name thing was getting to be a pain in the ass. I decided to tell Alice a portion of the story of who Bella was – at least tell her that Marie and Bella were one in the same. Actually I told her it was her middle name. For all I knew, that could be the case.

If Bella were alive, no, when I found Bella alive, I would let her explain to Alice what she was truly doing here in Miami. If I divulged everything, Alice probably wouldn't want anything to do with trying to find her. She would feel totally betrayed.

Betrayal didn't even enter my mind anymore. It was quite the ironic story to me; I had fallen in love with an FBI agent who, more than likely moved to Miami for the sole purpose to throw my ass in jail. If I were a betting man, she probably didn't know who I was when we first met in the lingerie store. If she did, she was a great actress. I kept a really low profile and rarely was my picture taken - at least not as Edward Masen.

If someone had said to me six months ago I'd be leaving the business, falling in love and having a child, I would've thought they'd been taking the drugs I'd been selling. No way in hell would I want to give up everything I'd worked my whole life for, but after everything that's happened to me, or better yet, to those around me, I knew it was time to get out.

Bella made me a better person. It was time I showed her I could live up to that expectation, so now was the time to man up and get her out of the bad situation I put her in.

Alice agreed to come right away, so I gave her Jasper's name and let the hospital know she was his contact person because I had to leave. I gave Alice specific instructions that if he were to wake up and could give me any more information, to call me as soon as possible.

My next stop was to set up a command center at Bella's condo. Her father should be here in a few hours, and I needed to assemble my own people to track down some leads as well. I knew I should've talked to him longer but truth be told, I didn't know what to say to him. I'll explain more to him when he gets here, but for now, I knew I had to get the ball rolling.

When I met Eleazer down at the pier last week, he was ready and willing to take on the task of blowing James's head off his shoulders. Now, he'd have to get in line behind me to do it. There was nothing more in this world that I wanted then to blow him to smithereens. Well, actually there was; Bella and my unborn child needed to be safe and sound first. Then I'd take him out – slowly.

I called Eleazer and gave him Bella's address. He said he'd meet me down there in thirty minutes, right after he gathered up a few of his best men for the job. Raffi was also on my list as well as a few guys who worked the docks for us. These men had seen some really bad things in their life and encountered all kinds of surly, mafia types. James would be a cinch for them.

By the time I arrived at Bella's condo, Raffi had already unlocked the door.

"Thanks, man. As I told you on the phone earlier, I don't have any new leads yet, but we've got quite a few men coming to help us out. We've got to find her, Raffi," I started pacing as I spoke, my hand running through my already unruly hair for the tenth time today.

"Ed, if you don't mind me asking, is everything okay? I mean, I know she's missing and all, but for some reason I get the impression something else is going on. What is it?"

Raffi was more intuitive than he looked.

"Everything's fine. We just need to find her. I have a few leads to check, and I need this address ran through the system." I pulled my wallet out of my back pocket and retrieved the address written on the napkin. Eleazer had checked it out before and didn't find anything, but I had to double check every detail. I couldn't afford not to at this point.

Raffi stood there, staring at me. "C'mon, Ed. This is me you're talking to. We've been friends and have worked together for a long time. There's something you're not telling me, I can feel it."

Raffi and I had been through a lot over the years. He knew me better than I knew myself. "Listen, I can't get into it right now but you need to do exactly as I say, okay? I need your help to find Bella, and as soon as we've accomplished that, you need to leave town and get as far away from here as you can. Do you understand?"

"Would you mind telling me why?" Raffi asked as he leaned against Bella's kitchen countertop.

"I really can't get in to it right now. Just trust me. I'll put some money in your account later, and if you want to take your girlfriend with you and start a new life, I think that'd be a great idea. There's some things goin down –″

We were interrupted by a loud knock on the door. "Edward! Open up, it's me, Eleazer."

I walked over to the door and Eleazer strolled in, bringing in quite a few of his henchmen along with him. Carrying some papers under his left arm and a six pack of Budweiser in the other, he went straight into the kitchen, sitting everything down on the small table.

I took a minute to introduce everyone while grabbing a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

Eleazer spread out the papers he brought and started to fill us in on his findings. "I've been talking to a lot of guys down at the docks. Those who know of James don't want to say a lot. It's like he's got some hold on them or something. I don't know if he promised them drugs, or jobs, but everyone is keeping a low profile. However, there were some others who despise the bastard."

"And?" I asked, wanting him to get to the point because time was ticking away.

"I was given a few addresses he's used in the past to hide his drugs. He's also gotten into this gang of thugs; they're a really bad bunch, Edward. I'm talking the 'slit your throat rather than talk to you' kind of gang. We need to be really careful." Eleazer grabbed a beer. Taking a slug back, he slammed it back down on the table.

I didn't care who these people were. I had dealt with many slime bags in my life, one more wouldn't make any different. "We need to set up a meeting with them. I'll give them whatever they want for information." I pulled up a chair and sat down, looking at the map Eleazer had set on the table. For two hours, we poured over maps, discussed strategies and tossed ideas around.

After awhile, I began delegating orders. "Raffi, I want you to check out this address marked in red. Take Jack with you and call me immediately if you see anything out of the ordinary or if you see any signs of inhabitants. Eleazer, I need two of your men to check out the tattoo parlor at this address," I scribbled down the address of where I talked with Irina a month ago. "Ask for Irina, and tell her to think of any other address James might use to keep hostages. If it's needed, use whatever force you have to get the information from her. Just FYI, there's armed guards there, so take them out if you need to."

After dividing out the remaining addresses between the other men, I went to another room and made a phone call to my lawyer, Vincent. His phone went straight to voicemail, but I left a lengthy message about Emmett being held by the FBI. I also told him my existence out in the free world was probably going to be limited as well and to be prepared for things to happen. Vincent had gotten me out of some past indiscretions, but this was going to be a little tougher than those. I hung up, deciding I couldn't dwell on my problems right now. Bella needed me, and I was going to find her.

I pulled my cigarettes from my shirt pocket only to find I had one left. _Dammit._ This was a nasty habit I engaged in when stressed, and it was the only thing that made me sane when I was in my freaked out mode. I put the cigarette up to my mouth, letting it dangle there until I could find my lighter.

The men all started to leave, assignments in hand, when a loud knock came from the door. Instantly, everyone reached for the side pieces, safety's off and guns pointed directly at the front entrance of Bella's apartment.

"This is Charlie Swan, Bella's father. Open up now!" the voice on the other end screamed out, and suddenly, my heart leapt into my throat.

My unborn child's grandfather, also an FBI agent, stood a few feet away which scared the living shit out of me. Ever since I told him on the phone about Bella, I knew I'd be face to face with him at some point, but for some reason, I still wasn't prepared to meet him. He had made it here pretty quickly it seemed. However, if it was my daughter who was kidnapped, I'd have been here hours ago which led me to believe he was far away to begin with.

Huddling the men together in the kitchen, I had to let the guys know immediately who we were dealing with. "Get your act together. Behind that door is Bella's dad, who just happens to be an FBI agent." Groans were instantly heard around the circle. Whispering again, I had to also let them know one more thing. "I don't think he knows who I am – I could be wrong, but I'm taking a guess he hasn't seen me before. As of now, my name is Edward Anthony. Don't make any mistakes and call me anything else. Got it?"

More moans escaped from their mouths, but they all nodded their heads. Guns were being put away as I made my way to the front door. I blew out a big gust of air as I reached for the doorknob. Better late than never.

"About damn time you let me in." Mr. Swan stormed into the apartment, five people following him as he began to take in his surroundings. "Which one of you answered my daughter's phone?"

This man carried an air of authority about him that was unprecedented. Standing about a couple inches short than me, he was dark headed with streaks of gray throughout and a moustache to match. He simply wore a pair of Levi's and a long sleeved plaid shirt which made him look less ominous to the common person. His facial structure resembled Bella's, making me ache for her all that much more.

"That would be me, sir. I'm Edward Anthony."

"Who are all these people? Do you know anything more? Why the hell didn't you stay on the line longer so I could get more information from you?" Mr. Swan began pacing the living room floor, running his hand over his moustache a few times before he started casing the place.

Why the hell was I so tongue tied with this man? I was right earlier, he doesn't know who I am yet, but I'm sure that was just a matter of time. Bella must not have given him any photos of me which led me to be sure of one thing – she really had fallen in love with me.

"Sir, if I may?" I now stood directly in front of him, hands nervously twitching at my side. "I've set up a command post, if you will, hopefully to get to the bottom of this. We've got maps here in the kitchen, all with the latest addresses of the person we think has kidnapped her. His name is James Tanner. All of the people you see in this room are here to help find her. And to answer your last question, it was all I could do to let you know that Bella was even missing. It would've just made it harder to stay on the phone discussing it with you. Besides, time is running out to find her and bring her home."

Mr. Swan spoke immediately. "Wait, did you say James Tanner?"

He knew him? "Yes, do you know him?"

The guys were behind me getting antsy. They needed to get the hell out of here and out on the streets to find Bella.

"Uh, Mr. Anthony, we really need to get a move on. We're going to head on out, okay?" Raffi informed me as he headed toward the door. Eleazer moved past him, his head hung low, his jacket collar pulled up around his face as he walked to the left of me, hiding his face from Bella's father.

"Great. Report back to me as soon as you get any kind of positive information. Keep your phones on at all times and if anything looks strange to you, don't make any move until you call me. Got it?"

"Sure, boss. We'll check in with you later." They all left hurriedly out of Bella's condo with Charlie Swan just staring at them.

Turning toward him, I asked the same question as before. "How do you know James Tanner?"

Charlie let out a big sigh. "First, tell me who you are and how do you know my daughter? And what are you doing inside her apartment?"

This was going to be a long night. As if I wasn't stressed out enough, I had to fucking explain myself to an FBI agent no doubt. Fate was looking down, mocking me into lying to my girlfriend's father of all people. I knew it was karma; the situation I'd been thrown in was totally my own doing, and I was paying for it.

"Why don't you sit down?" He looked at me like I was insane. The posse he brought were standing behind him, flanking his back as if I was going to attack or something.

"Look, dammit, my daughter is missing, and I want some answers! Who the fuck are you, and why are you here?"

Okay, he had gotten my attention. "Bella and I are friends. We met at the gym, and when I found out she was new in town, I offered to show her around. I'm from here."

I wasn't about to tell Bella's father we met at a sexy lingerie store and she fell right into my lap. Hell, I found it hard to believe.

He gave me a real skeptical look for what seemed like ten minutes before he spoke. "How long have you known her? She's never mentioned you to me, which is strange."

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but we're wasting time here. Just know that she trusts me to be here, and I'm doing the best I can to find her. I know a lot of people in the area, and I've got the best guys out looking for her."

Mr. Swan actually grunted. "Fine."

"Now, how do you know James Tanner?"

"Bella dated him in college for a little while. When she went to break it off with him, he hit her. He broke her nose pretty bad. I'm not quite sure why you think he's the one who has her though. I hadn't heard anything from that man in years, and she didn't mention to me that she had seen him here."

I didn't feel the need at this point in time to let him know about James and I's past history. I did decide, however, feel the need to lie again.

"Bella and I were out at a restaurant one night when I discovered a funny look on her face. Come to find out, she kept staring at this man with long, blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. Since it seemed to bother her, I inquired about him, and she just said that he was an old college friend and nothing more." It was amazing how lies spewed out of my mouth so quickly.

"The other night, we were out with some friends when Bella gets a strange phone call and just darts right out on me. She seemed out of sorts, so I decided to follow her. She drove out to a far away strip mall, and I parked a little far back so she wouldn't see me. The man she met was the exact same man that freaked her out months ago. Plus, he handed her an envelope, but I'm not sure what it contained. Anyway, next thing I know, someone comes from out of the blue with a handkerchief in his hands, puts it across her mouth, and she's out in less than ten seconds. I tried following them, but they got away."

Charlie ran his hand through his moustache again. "He chloroformed her." He muttered the words so softly, I barely heard him.

"Yes, it appears so, because she could hardly fight him back. And she's got some moves I've never seen on any other woman, so that's saying something!"

Charlie actually chuckled on that one. "Yeah, I taught her well. Wow, of all people, I never thought James Tanner would be involved with this. I must say, I'm surprised at the layout you have here. It looks like you've got a lot of ground covered. Have you covered this address yet?"

Charlie took out an address from his shirt pocket which looked familiar. It was the address I had in my wallet. How in the hell did he get – wait a second. Bella stole my wallet on purpose when we had sex in her office that one time. She must have been looking for something concrete, but was it to bust me or see if I had any information on James?

"Um, actually yes. We have a couple of guys going to that address right now." I hoped he didn't ask me how we came about the address as well.

He turned back and murmured something to his men. They looked at me then nodded. The next thing I know, they're leaving the apartment. He had yet to divulge his involvement with the FBI, so I decided to move things along for him.

"Well, Mr. Swan, I hope I didn't interfere with your work or anything like that. It's pretty incredible you called when you did because I was actually looking for a way to get in contact with you. I knew you'd want to know right away about your daughter. Thanks for getting here so quickly."

He walked over to the maps we had in the kitchen and started perusing them. Without looking up, he started talking. "Son, nothing is more important to me than my daughter. Not my work or anything else in this world. I feel sorry for whoever has taken her because he's going to die one slow, horrible death. You can trust me on that one."

For the next half hour, we conversed about everything that was James. Without revealing my past, I told Charlie about the tattoo on Bella's neighbor's wrist, and how we had traced it back to a gang that James was either a part of or the head honcho. He absorbed everything I had to say, taking notes where he thought sufficient.

"So, let me get this straight. A gang of thugs are running around with the exact same tattoo with James as the possible leader, is that correct?" I nodded to him. "And it's a black octopus?" Again, I nodded.

Picking up his cell phone, he dialed up someone while walking out on Bella's balcony. I took this opportunity to check on Jazz. If nothing panned out with the other leads we had, he was our only hope.

Alice picked up on the third ring. "Hello, Edward." She was barely whispering.

"How is he, Alice?"

"Touch and go. He came out of surgery, and the doctor said if he makes it through the night it's a good sign. Any word on Bella?"

As if I didn't feel bad enough, another life was lingering on the edge. "He just has to make it. Jasper might be our only hope. He's never regained consciousness?" My head started throbbing in the temples.

"I'll keep you posted. Oh, and Edward?" Alice asked as quietly as possible.

"Yes?"

"You didn't tell me you had such a good looking friend. He'd better make it, because I think I'm in love." She giggled which put a small smile on my face. I think it was the first time I'd smiled since Bella had been missing.

I gave a half chuckle which is all I could muster. "I hope he makes it too, Al." I hung up with a heavy heart just as Charlie came in from the patio.

"Who was that?" he asked, as he walked over and sat himself on the couch. The stress showed in his face as he put his hand behind his neck, rubbing it as if to work out a few kinks.

"James got to a friend of mine as well. I hadn't filled you in yet in fear of having nothing to say until now. That was a friend of ours on the phone, mine and Bella's. She's currently at the hospital with him, and the doctors say it's a good sign he made it out of surgery. If he wakes up soon, I'm hoping he can share the details of what happened to him and where he was being held." There was no way I could share his name with him, so I hoped he didn't ask.

If I were a betting man, my house along with Emmett's was bugged to the hilt.

This piece of information perked Charlie up. "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"Like I said, I wasn't sure if he was going to make it. At least it's hopeful now."

There was a knock at the door which I was thankful for. Being alone with Bella's father was nerve wracking.

Standing outside in the hallway was Bella's doorman holding a small, rectangular box. "Hello Edward. This package was just dropped off for you. I had specific instructions to give it to you only."

Maybe this was the break we were waiting on. "Thanks, Ted. Did you happen to get a look at the person who left it?"

"Yeah, I did. It was just some ordinary kid. He was a pimply teenager who works down at the delivery store on the corner. We see him from time to time, why?" Ted asked. Bella had told me Ted was as reliable as they come, so I was going to take her word for it.

Overhearing our conversation, Charlie chimed in. "What's the name of the delivery store?"

The two of them talked for a few minutes with Charlie getting the details out of Ted before the anticipation of opening the box got to both of us.

After shutting the door, he picked up the box, inspecting every inch of it before even trying to open the damn thing.

"You'll excuse me if I ask you just what the hell is going on? Time is running out, and I really need to find my g-, my friend." Shit. What the hell was wrong with me? I couldn't afford any slips.

Charlie acted like he didn't even hear me. He put his ear down on the package next, listening for what, who the hell knows?

"It's okay to open it now."

"Really? And how do you know that?"

"Trust me. I just know." Charlie began to pull out his pocket knife and slicing open one side.

"Actually, I'd really like to know how you know. What are you, psychic or something?" I knew damn good and well he wasn't, but I was going to drag the whole FBI thing out of him one way or another.

"No, son, not psychic. Just experienced. Take my word for it." And with that, he took the knife and sliced open the other side.

He took the top of the box off so slowly I thought I'd rip it out of his hands. Once it was open, we both peered inside with anticipation.

Inside the package was a piece of Bella's dress and a lock of her hair. Beneath that was a photo. Before Charlie picked it up, he pulled a rubber glove out of his pocket.

"You're pretty prepared. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

He glanced up at me while slipping on his glove. "Mr. Anthony, please let me handle things from here on out. We definitely have a hostage situation on our hands and now we have proof. There has to be fingerprints on this, so I'm taking all precautions necessary. If you haven't figured it out by now, I know what I'm doing. I appreciate the help, but I'll handle things from now on."

And on that note, the photo was pulled out of the box by the ever experienced Charlie Swan's rubber gloved hands. My heart beat faster in my chest, praying that it wasn't a picture of her lifeless body.

Turning it over in his hand, Charlie sucked in a deep breath. As he flipped it, we both took a look at it and immediately looked up at each other.

Of one thing I was sure. James had Bella and at that particular moment, she was alive.

**A/N: Wow. Another cliffie. I just can't help myself. However, we do know that they know she's still alive so that's a good thing. Next chapter is chock full of enlightening things so stay tuned. I hope to gets lots of reviews on that chapter. I actually hope to get them for this one too, if you know what I mean Hint Hint ;-)**


	30. Chapter 30

**I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does, unfortunately. I do however, own this story so please don't copy anything.**

**Warning**: I wanted to let you all know now that there is some forced drug abuse in this chapter. If it bothers you, I apologize but it's necessary to let everyone know just how evil James really is. If you choose to skip it, I understand but it's not until close to the end when it occurs.

With all of that being said, much is revealed in this chapter, so I do hope you read it!

**Chapter 29 - Revelations**

BPOV

He gently touched the back of his hand to the left side of my cheek, and then slowly caressed it down the side of my face, moving over my jaw until he stopped at the base of my neck. His face hovered close to mine allowing me to savor the sweet musky smell of his cologne. It had been so long since we were in an intimate position, that I almost forgot how much my body longed for him.

His breath tickled my neck which sent tingles all over my body. I giggled a little, spurring him to repeat the action on the other side.

"If you keep doing that, we're never going to leave this bed." I breathily spoke the words as his actions continued.

A nice, low moan escaped his throat. "Hmm, that's exactly what I'm hoping for. I want us to stay here for hours, doing nothing but making love all day long." Now his nose was trailing from the bottom of my ear and down around my jaw line causing me such sweet torture.

"Baby?"

"Yes, dear?"

"We have somewhere we have to be, you know that. As much as I'd love to stay in bed all day, you do remember what today is right?"

Fingertips caressed my outer thigh which excited me even more. He wasn't going to give up until I gave in. Not that it would take much, of course. I felt a warm hand slide around to my bare covered ass where he traced lazy eights onto my goosebumped skin. My legs slid apart as his hand traveled to where I needed it the most. I knew I was ready for him before he even ventured in the direction, but I knew he needed to be sure.

He rose up, straddling me and positioning himself to the very familiar place we've encountered every night since I found out I was carrying his child.

His deep, throaty morning voice was sexy as hell. "I very well remember what day it is. Today, we find out our little munchkin is actually a she." Kisses were being planted all around my belly suddenly, making me very ticklish.

"And if the she is actually a he? What then? Are you giving him back?" My chuckles slowly turned into moans when his head delved deeper down below my navel.

"Umm, nooo. But I'm not worried because I know it's a girl. She talks to me every night, you know."

"Is that so? What does she say exactly?" This should be good.

"She tells me that she has the prettiest mommy in the whole wide world. She also says she loves you, and she can't wait to see you." His tongue darted out at that moment, finding my happy place which made me raise my hips a little higher for better access.

"Oh my God, Edward!" The sensation was so incredible, I couldn't help but scream out. My panting was louder as my climax neared.

"Edward, don't stop, baby." I came hard as Edward made his way up to my lips, kissing me like there was no tomorrow. He rolled us onto our sides where he hugged me tight, a little too tight for my liking.

"Babe, you're hurting me." I didn't get an answer. "I said you're holding me too tight, Edward. Please!"

He still didn't answer. I yelled louder so he could hear me, and when I did, I woke myself up.

My eyes opened to an unfamiliar room that reeked of sweat and urine. What the hell? I was still held really tightly though, and I struggled to get free. Who was holding me down?

I tried moving my arms and legs, but they wouldn't budge. Looking down, a strange set of arms enveloped me which made me cringe because I suddenly remembered where I was. A low moaning behind me alerted me to whomever the horrible stench of body odor and booze was emanating from.

"Hmmm. Your hair smells great, darlin'. Did you sleep well?" I'd know that nasty voice anywhere.

"Get the fuck off me, James." I kept squirming under his heavy hold but still couldn't break free. Looking down, I saw I was tied up again.

"Is this really necessary? What the hell do you want with me?"

James finally decided to move his smelly body off of mine. I felt like the lightest person in the world suddenly.

"Tsk, tsk, my dearest Bella. Is that any way to treat your new roommate? I recall you liking it rough, darling, so don't be so callous."

Now I know he's psychotic. "I don't remember liking it at all let alone rough, asshole. Why don't you get to the point?"

James slithered over in front of me, as if I wanted his smelly body next to mine. "Oh yes, the point. I reckon it's about time you know my plan. You're a big part of it, you know." He ran his hands through my hair, making me jerk my head back. My hands and feet were killing me, but it was no use complaining about it. If I knew James, nothing would be done until he said so.

'You see, it all started out a long, long time ago when some skinny, copper haired boy needed some quick cash to feed him and his momma. It seems she had a bad habit of snorting or shooting up all their life savings. We were just kids then, but I was carving myself a big piece of pie when scrawny ass Copper Top came to me wanting a cut as well. Being the compassionate soul I am, I decided to let him in on my deal, and how did he repay me? He took over my turf, therefore, having the whole community, if you will, shun me like I was this big leper or something. Then, he goes and makes a big name for himself, taking over the whole fucking state when he knows damn good and well all of that should be mine."

This piece of information perked me up. "Are you trying to tell me you and Edward were friends? You knew him because you two grew up together?

James rose up and walked over to the one little end table that was in the room. A bottle of water sat there which instantly made me thirstier than I already was. He picked it up and took a swig of it, knowing it would be an insult to me. I hadn't drunk anything since I got here.

"Oh, I wouldn't ever have called us friends, sweetie; more like mortal enemies. We just tolerated each other's existence. But that's okay because I've been working long and hard to regain everything that's rightfully mine. It took me a few years to gain my foothold in the industry, and now, I've got an army behind me. I'm right where I need to be with the exception of ridding myself of that one very important person." He wiped his mouth of the lingering water that resided there. I knew he wasn't going to let me take a drink, and by this time, I was salivating watching him hold the water in his hands.

"Killing his ex-girlfriend was too easy. She was nothing but a two bit whore anyway. Then his best men, the Salvatore brothers, were about as gullible as they come. I got in their good graces from the beginning, so they didn't see what was coming. It would've been the same thing with his best friend had he not gotten away. I'm still not sure had that happened, but you can bet someone will pay for that mistake."

Oh, my God. James killed all those people? The pictures that he showed me right before he kidnapped me were a distraction to lure me there. It was all slowly coming back to me. They were the same photos I came across on my intranet FBI database. Holy shit. I knew James was nuts, but this was in another universe all together.

_At least he hadn't figured out it was me who saved Jasper. So, James and Edward grew up together? Damn. I never would have guessed they knew each other._ "You're telling me you guys were neighbors? And you're going to all this trouble to get back at him because he took your little ten cent drug business in high school?"

"Oh, I'm not done with my story yet. My stupid ass father dated his bitch of a mother, the loser that she was. I knew he was only using her to take all her money. He had an inside track to some good drugs as well, and seeing how she liked the stuff, he kept her drugged up. It helped him to cipher all the money out of her account because she didn't know what she was doing half the time. Anyway, after awhile she started sobering up and became aware what my dad was up to. It actually was on the night of graduation that it happened."

By this time, I had finagled myself up where I could now lean up against the wall. James was deep in telling his story, so he didn't really take notice of me.

Wow, this story is quite enlightening. What were the chances of James and Edward knowing each other, and I ended up dating him in college? And clear across the nation too, no doubt?

"What exactly happened the night of graduation?"

"Copper Top's lovely mother took a .38 special to my father's chest and shot him point blank. Somehow, she got his body into her car and buried the body somewhere. Or dumped him in a river I guess. I don't know."

Holy hell. Edward's mother shot James' father. No wonder he's really pissed − not that he didn't deserve it though. Does Edward know all this?

My lips were getting dry and cracked from dehydration. I kept trying to wet them, but since I had no water in my body, it was useless. I decided to try and ask for water. "James, would you mind if I had a drink of that water? If you're going to use me as bait or whatever, I have to be somewhat lucid. I'm no good to you otherwise." I decided to go this route to see if I'd have any luck.

He chuckled and threw the bottle at me, knowing I couldn't catch it with tied up hands. "Gee, thanks. Can I get some help here or what?"

"You rudely interrupted me. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. So, you see why I'm a little sore at your little boy toy. His family destroyed mine, so he's going to pay. However, I do have another ace in the hole, but I think I'll save that juicy tidbit for later."

James watched me as I struggled to pick up the water bottle with my body. To say it was quite amusing to watch would have been an understatement. Finally, I got the bottle between my knees and used both hands to open the lid. I drank down the last half of the water in no time flat, especially since I couldn't remember the last time I drank something.

I sat back against the wall, soaking up all the information James just told me about his and Edward's connection to their past. It was a lot to absorb, but in no way did it make me feel sorry for the man sitting in front of me. He was one messed up dude.

After drinking down the water, my stomach gurgled a little. I nudged my tied up hands over my belly, gently caressing the area which currently housed mine and Edward's dirty little secret. There was no way in hell I could let James know about my condition. He'd kill me quicker than what he was originally planning, if so. I just prayed to God he didn't kick me anywhere in that vicinity, so I had to be very guarded.

"It looks like you're thinking about something pretty hard over there, peaches. Care to share?" James eerily questioned me, as if I would share anything with this sick bastard.

"Oh, I'm not thinking of anything too important. Nothing, that is, except maybe a steak and baked potato or some really spicy nachos? I'm guessing we're not in any proximity to anything like that, are we?"

He laughed, so I guessed I was right. "No, darlin'. No fast food in these parts. However, I do keep lots of junk food around. I especially have your favorite snack." James got up and walked out of the room. As soon as he disappeared, I started working on the rope which bound my hands together, but it was so tight it started making burn marks.

Unfortunately, he came back too soon, but he did have food. Again, he threw something at me.

"Yum. Ho-ho's. Thanks." At least they landed in my lap, making it easier to reach the object this time. I precariously tore open the package and began eating them. I guess it was better than nothing at all. _Sorry for all the preservatives, little one. I promise to get us out of here safe and sound. Once I do, I'll eat nothing but healthy food until you're born_.

"Remember you had them every morning in Chem class? See how good I could be for you, Bella?" Crouching down in front of me, putting his finger under my chin, he forced me to look up at him. "I didn't figure you in my whole plan of taking down Eddie boy. You ironically happened to be an added bonus. It must be my lucky year." James' face neared mine, allowing his nasty alcohol breath to invade my senses. Leaning in, I knew he was going to try and kiss me which was something I just couldn't let happen.

Out of sheer luck, the door busted open to the tiny room we were in.

"Boss, the package was delivered. It's not long before they'll make contact, I'm sure." A muscular man with a heavy Spanish accent stood at the doorway sporting a crew cut and that damn octopus tattoo. How many men had James acquired in this gang of his?

"How many times have I told you to stop busting in on me, Angel? Can't you see Bella and I were just getting reacquainted?

I seized this chance to bend down and rub my ankles. They were really hurting now but until I had an opportunity to steal a knife again, I was pretty much screwed.

Angel spoke up again. "That's not all, sir. Victoria delivered the message to you – personally. She's waiting for you outside and wouldn't take no for an answer. I don't think she's pleased you have another woman hostage; especially this one." He nodded his head in my direction.

Victoria? Surely, it couldn't be the same red headed bitch in the trench coat. However, after mulling it around in my head for a second, it made perfect sense. She must be James' accomplice. Oh my gosh. And she screwed Edward, which means she was the one who's been snitching to James about Edward's every move. I bet he had no idea either.

And what does he mean another woman hostage? There are two of us? Dammit. I wonder if she's in this same shack.

"Wonderful. She's earlier than I expected, but it'll do although it's none of her damned business who I'm keeping here. She's just fucking jealous." James retreated off muttering more obscenities as his voice carried off into the other room.

As soon as he walked off, I started in again on the ropes. Given a little time, I knew I could get them loose. As I worked on them, I could hear raised voices outside the small window of the room.

"Vicky, I told you I'd call when I was ready for you. What if you were followed?"

Her voice was just as icy as his. "You're holding out on me, James. You have me do all the dirty work while you get all the fun with your new little cutesy toy in there. Don't think I don't know what you're doing either. The plan was to take over the Edward's business, draining him of all the money and clients. Now, you go and take over his girl of the month. Where does that leave me?"

I wriggled my ankles as I almost had the third knot undone. It felt so good to be able to move again, but I didn't dare let it show I had so much give in the rope. The wrist ties were much easier to loosen as I strained to hear the rest of their conversation.

James was obviously using Victoria, but she was too stupid to notice it. "Calm down, Victoria. Everything is on schedule, and the plan will continue. The girl is a much added bonus which will work to our advantage."

"It damn well better be, or all bets are off!" She screamed at him, and he popped right back at her.

"Don't even think about threatening me, sweetheart. You'll do as I say, or you'll never get your free fix ever again. Now, the last part of the plan is coming into fruition. I've got everything ready to go; all you need to do is play the part. The wig is in there; now I just have to undress the nosy bitch, and we're on our way to all the wealth and drugs we could ever want."

What the hell is he planning? Victoria was going to pose as me, but for what – and where? Oh God. I hoped my dad would be getting involved in this because things are getting out of hand. I really didn't want Edward caught up in all this mess because he was in way enough trouble as it was. And not to mention myself being pregnant and tied up in some damn shack being held hostage by a fucking crazed mad man!

Victoria had started screaming one more time. "This better fucking work! I'm tired of being used for your little games, James. I want freedom too, but all it seems I ever do is screw someone or spy on them. Now you want me to pose as Ms. Goody Two Shoes in there, so you'd better not me setting me up!"

"It'll work out, baby. Let's go in so I can fill you in on all the details."

Scrambling back to a sitting position, I put myself back to where I was when he left. I heard the door open and footsteps getting closer to my room. The ties on my wrist were loose but with a little of my handiwork, I tightened them back a little, but not too much. He said he was coming in here to take my dress, so I sat and wondered how I should handle the situation when the two of them walked in the room.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Edward's lovely little plaything. It seems you're in a small jam, my love." Victoria belted out a maniacal laughter, making my whole body cringe. She strolled over to me, bent down and stuck her pointy manicured finger under my chin, raising it up so I was now eye level with her.

"Where's your knight in shining armor now, my dear?"

I stared in her beady little eyes as I spoke each word very slowly. "Hopefully mounting his white horse and coming straight here to take me out of this hellhole."

She rose up, laughing again as she turned toward James. "You've got a feisty one here, baby. Plus you must've given her something strong because she thinks she's going to be rescued or something. She's quite delusional."

What a bitch. I would've drop kicked her ass and put a choke hold on her by now in any other circumstances. It was James' turn to speak out now, adding his two cents worth.

"Isabella, it's not nice to argue with the boss' girlfriend. Now you need to listen up. We're going to need that beautiful dress of yours because Vicky here has some important business to do in town."

"And she needs my dress to do it? What's wrong with the clothes she has on? Granted, they're quite shabby but fine to go in to town, I'm sure." I knew arguing with them wasn't going to help any, but I felt like being sarcastic.

"Just do as I say, dammit. Time is running out, and I don't have all day. Go take it off of her, Vick. They're meeting us at the bank in less than an hour. By the way, Bella, I'll need access to your bank account."

Victoria inched her way closer to me, putting her slimy hands on my dress. "What the hell? I don't think so. What makes you think I'm-"

In less than the time it took to get those words out of my mouth, my hair was being yanked back, my head hitting the back wall hard and a gun was place to my right temple. I heard the safety being switched off and the unpleasant sound of the gun cocking back into position.

"I'm in no mood for bargaining with you, Isabella. I will shoot off the pretty little face of yours in a split second if you don't cooperate. Now, give me your pin number to your bank account. We have some pretty important people to meet there soon, and I can't be late. I won't hesitate in messing you up, much like the first time when you dumped me all those years ago."

This got Victoria's attention. "What the hell are you talking about?"

This probably wasn't the best time to be catty, but I had been in worst situations. "Oh, didn't lover boy here tell you? James and I had a relationship years ago in college. Weren't you aware that I shared his bed before you?"

The rage in her eyes was priceless. It took her less time to unleash her vengeance than James. A hand came down across my face fast and hard, stinging so badly my eyes teared up immediately. I just grinned back at her as James started in again.

"Can the both of you just shut up? The pin number, Isabella! Vicky, take the damn dress off her and leave your clothes. This whole thing has to go smoothly, or our chances of taking over this region could go up in dust." She kept staring at me but knew better than to cross him. She pulled down on my shoulders, pushing me down on the floor as she unzipped my dress, scraping her nails down my back in the process.

I swear, when this was all over, I was going to let her have it. My dress was finally off when she stepped out of her cheap cotton sundress and threw it at me. I assumed I was supposed to put that on somehow but wasn't exactly sure how to maneuver it. I was exposed except for my lacy thong and strapless bra, so I reached with my tied hands to the dress lying at my feet.

"2179," I muttered to the psycho who still had the gun in his hand. I was trying to piece together in my mind exactly who he was meeting and what he needed my bank account for. It didn't have exorbitant funds in there, but it was still a hefty sum for someone who lived in a damn shack like this one.

"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it? Thank you, darlin'." James unclicked the gun, stuffing it down in his boot.

Victoria struggled putting the dress on because it was obviously a size smaller than she wore. Cursing and moans came out of her mouth while I covered myself up with her scraggly piece of cotton.

"James, this had better work. I want that little bitch out of here by the time we get back. I can't stand looking at her smug little face!" James came up behind Victoria, trying to get the zipper up on the back of my dress which I knew wasn't going to be easy. Anyone could tell she was bigger than me.

After struggling for a couple minutes, she managed to squeeze into it. James walked over to the closet, pulling out a brown wig and walking back to give it to the nasty and vile person in front of me.

Victoria put it on and stuffed her ugly red mane up into it. As much as I hated to admit it, she could resemble me from far away. I had no idea what they had in mind, but I knew it couldn't be good. James had to be luring Edward in somehow which made me sick inside. Surely, he wouldn't fall for this type of setup.

James stood back and checked out Victoria. "Not too bad if I say so myself. I do believe this is going to work."

I knew I had to pry something out of him before they left. "Since you're stealing my identity and clothes, do you mind telling me what you're planning? It's not like I can run and let anyone know anyway."

Victoria turned toward me, sneering her ugly mouth. "Why don't we fill her in, dear? It'll be quite fun watching her face when she learns the truth!"

The two of them got closer together as James brought her hands to his mouth and kissed them. "I suppose we could let her know. It's not like she's going to live long enough to do anything about it anyway." He laughed as he dropped her hands and went to sit on the edge of the bed.

"About an hour ago, Copper Top received a package from me. Inside it was a lovely photograph of you tied up holding a sign. There was also a note in the box explaining to him exactly what he needs to do in order to keep you safe. If he were to bring any cops along with him, it's instantaneous death for you, my dear, so I expect ole Eddie boy to comply with all my demands."

"I see. And just what kind of sign was I holding? Wait, let me guess. It said I loved him and to please come for me as soon as possible, right?"

"You're so intuitive, Isabella. And to think I might've underestimated you; how'd you get so clever? By the way, we took your picture right after you were coming out of the chloroform so your eyes were a little glassed over. He might be a tad bit mad at me for that, but that's okay. I've handled Eddie before when he gets angry." James got up, whispered something in Victoria's ear, and then left the room.

It didn't take her long to get her digs in me once again. "It's such a shame you won't be here when I get back sweetie. I can't say that I'll miss you, however, but I will be sure to let your lover know how pathetic you looked before your untimely death. That is, I might tell him after I lay one last kiss on his beautiful lips. He always was a great lay, but you know that already. The way his face looks right before he clima-"

"Shut the fuck up, you flaming bitch!" During my tirade, I kicked her with all the strength I could muster by my tied up feet that she toppled over and fell hard on the floor. I hobbled over and sat on top of her, taking my tied up hands to her throat, cutting off her oxygen just long enough to get right in her face.

"If you harm one hair on his head, you'll live to regret it. You can trust me on that one. If I'm not the lucky one to do it, then someone else will find you and do it for me!" Her face started turning red, and I slowly released my hold on her throat.

She immediately started gagging and reaching for her neck as I shuffled off her. As soon as she got to her feet, she took off out of the room, probably looking for James to tell on me. I swore right then and there I would end her as soon as I got out of this place. She'd already broken many laws, so it would be easy putting her away.

As I expected, James came strolling back in the room a minute later with something in his hand. _Shit._ If it was some type of drug, I was done for. I couldn't let him harm the baby, so I had to play nice.

"I walk out of the room for one minute, and you two are going at it again. I guess if you can't behave, then I'll have to take care of you myself. Give me your arm, Isabella."

"No, no, no. Stop, James. I won't make another move. She just provoked me, talking about how great Edward was in bed that I just snapped. It won't happen again!"

"I can't take that chance, sugar. It's all good. This is some really nice stuff, and you'll just hallucinate a little bit. It'll be just like your little friend, what was her name? You know the girl you grieved over in college all the time? She loved this stuff; I believe it was her favorite drug of choice." James chuckled and pulled my arm over to find a vein.

I yanked my arms back, trying to scramble away from him as fast as I could. But his words made me freeze right after he spoke them. "What did you just say? How could you possibly know what Lauren's drug choices were?"

"Stay still Isabella, or this will be very painful for you. I can make it as agonizing as I want, so it's best you just quit moving. Now, what were we talking about? Oh yes, your friend Lauren. I knew who she was all along; especially when you met me in class that one day. Who do you think was the main supplier on campus, sweetheart? She was a sweet thing too. We actually hooked up a time or two when she couldn't pay me for the stuff she wanted. She was a little too chatty for me though." James' grip got tighter and tighter as I continued to struggle. His hands clung to my arm, not letting me move as the tears started flowing down my cheeks.

"I was her dirty little secret that she kept from you. The funny thing was, I knew you long before you even met me. Lauren snuck me in your dorm room when you were in class, and I'd check out the pictures you had on your little corkboard. I thought about how hot you were and how I'd love a piece of your hot self – well; we all know how that turned out, don't we?"

My stomach really started churning at this point. James was the one who gave Lauren the overdose? I swear to God I wanted to kill him so bad at this particular moment, but I had to remember my composure. My training told me I couldn't let personal feelings get in the way of work, but this was way over the line. If I wasn't pregnant right now, I'd just let loose on his pathetic, sorry ass but I had to careful. Dammit!

"I can't believe it. All this time, you were the one who killed Lauren?"

"Honey, she killed herself. I told her she had to be careful how much she took at one time, but she got greedy. She always wanted more, and the night she died, she came looking for me. I had some friends at my apartment, and she came storming in, frantic for a hit. Actually, she started tearing my place apart until I got her under control. I just gave her what she wanted; the rest was up to her. She kept rattling on about how she had to get back to her friends at this club she was at, so we turned her loose after giving her a few hits. I can't help it she landed in a back alleyway somewhere."

I was in shock. It was James who killed my best friend, and here he was now sitting on top of me with a needle in his hand.

"Can't you just lock me in a closet or something until you return? I really don't think drugs are the answer here. I'm not going anywhere!" My struggling continued, but to no avail. I knew I had to take whatever it was in that syringe.

"Silly Bella. Please calm down, and just let me make you comfortable." Continuing to grab my arm with a very strong hold, he held it down and shot the drug in my vein. I couldn't stop the water works as I came to terms as to what this could possibly mean. I silently prayed that it wouldn't harm the baby as there was absolutely nothing I could do at this point.

James rose up, throwing the syringe in the trashcan next to the door.

"Just tell me what it is you gave me. I need to know what kind of side effects to expect." I looked down at my bare belly, whispering to it how sorry I was for what it was about to endure.

"Don't worry about it and enjoy the ride, sweetheart. We'll be back before you know it – at least one of us will. Victoria doesn't know it yet, but she's quite disposable. Once she does her job, she's no longer any use to me." And then the door shut behind him.

Noises came from the other room, or that's what it sounded like as things in my head started getting distorted. My eyes felt heavy as I could barely keep them open, watching continuous drops of tears fall on my leg and slide down my thighs. I slowly tried to undo my wrist ties again which I knew would really be hard now, but I had to do everything I could to get out of here. In what seemed like hours, I finally got them off and reached down to my ankles to undo them as well.

The ropes hurt; at least I thought they did as I struggled to see what I was untying. It was hard to feel anything as I began to feel more numb by the minute. I had no idea what he gave me, but it didn't matter at this point. The damage had been done, and I struggled to get out of these barriers to get the hell out of this damn shack. I needed to warn Edward somehow about the trap he was falling into, but how would I do that?

Forms started taking shape in front of me as I searched around for Victoria's sundress. I vaguely made it out on the floor, and it took me quite a while to put it on. It seemed as if the doors and windows were floating around the room, trying to taunt me to go through them. Crawling around, I made my way over to the door, only to find it locked. Of course he would lock me in here. Screams bellowed out of my body as my fists pounded on the stupid wood frame.

"Help!" I knew I said this numerous times over the hour like someone would try and rescue me or something. The attempts were futile as I leaned my back against the door and assumed the fetal position. I hugged my legs into my body with my hands caressing my stomach.

"I'm so sorry, little one. I've just found out about you, and already, I've hurt you. I never intended for this to happen, I really didn't. You're not meant to come into this horrible existence, I guess. Please forgive me." My whispered words did little comfort to my shaking body because now I was freezing. It was hardly cold in this room, so I assumed I was going through the effects of the drugs in my system.

Still curled up in a ball, I felt myself rocking back and forth trying to find the strength and courage to get the hell out of this room when I heard a noise. I crawled over to the door to hear a feminine voice on the other side.

"Hello, is anyone there? Hello? We need to hurry!" The voice on the other side had to be that of the other kidnapped victim James alluded to earlier. Or was I just hearing damn voices in my head?

I scrambled to get up from my position on the floor, still fighting blurriness and now a throbbing headache. "Hello! Please help me! I'm drugged with something and can't get the door open! I'm freezing and need out of here. Who are you?"

The voice sounded scared as well. "Just a minute. I'm going to try to pick the lock with a bobby pin I have in my hair, okay? Please bear with me."

I have no idea how long I waited, but eventually, the door whipped open and in front of me was my saving grace. Through my distorted vision, I could make out an older woman who looked probably worse than I did. Her shape moved in, out and around everywhere, but I didn't sense any danger from her, only assistance which I truly welcomed.

"Who – who are you? Can you help me?" I spoke in a frail voice, but I knew I at least got the words out.

"My name is Esme, honey. Let's get you out of here. It's time we leave this horrid place, but we have to hurry. I don't know how long that horrible monster has been gone. Can you walk?"

**A/N: Oooh, I'm so excited about this chapter. It looks bad for Bella, but hang in there. I'm thinking there might be a couple more chapters after this plus an epilogue. Reviews would be awesome; I'd like to know what you thought about this chapter as it was tough deciding to write what I did, but again, I felt it was necessary. I like suspense and to keep my readers wanting more, so show me some lovin'!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 30 – Decoy**

"We've been driving for fifteen minutes now. I thought you said it was around the damn corner. When are we getting there already?" Charlie was as anxious to get to the bank as I was. Ever since we opened the damn box with Bella's picture in it and specific instructions to go to Wells Fargo bank, he'd been on the phone to different people.

The weird thing was, I had been on the phone as well. My guys were checking in with me constantly, letting me know one after the other that most of the places were a bust. It wasn't until the last phone call that I started to gain a flicker of hope.

"Hey, it's E.B., one of Eleazar's men. I think I'm on to something interesting here. I'm down at Clancy's bar on the outskirts of Hwy 31. There's nothing much out this way except for this dive bar and one gas station; I just stopped here for a cold one and saw something that caught my eye."

After hearing nothing but negative news, I told him to keep going.

"Well, I sat up at the bar making small talk with the bartender, when a couple guys over at the pool table were getting into an argument. Next thing I know, they're slugging it out on the floor, and it's a free for all with beer bottles smashing and everything. It was just like one of those old westerns you see on TV where –″

"E.B. – can you please get to the point? We're running out of time here."

"Oh, yeah. So, the cops were called to break up the fight, but in the meantime, a few of us dived right in to hold the guys back from each other. As I was holding the one guy back, I noticed that weird ass tattoo you told us about. You know the black octopus? The guy was drunk off his rocker too, so I figured it'd be a good time to question him about it – especially since he'd never remember anything tomorrow, anyway. I decided to ask him where he got the tattoo and how it was like nothing I'd ever seen. He said it was mandatory to be in the gang he was in because his boss said they were taking over one of the biggest drug territories ever, and soon, they'd be in the big money."

Hmm. Now the story was going somewhere. "Okay, so did he spill? I need specifics to go on here, man."

"Well, according to this guy, his boss is planning to take over the whole southern region of the U.S. He said he told him it should've been his to take in the first place, and that some asshole named Eddie stole it from him. He was going to do whatever it took and step on whoever he needed to on the way to get it. Ed, the guy bragged about cutting a guy's hands and his balls off; he's a sicko! Then, he went one-step further bragging about two women being held hostage in a shack outside old Oxford Road. By the time I could get a name and address, the cops came and hauled his ass away. I'm sorry, man."

Two women? Who else did he have hostage? Dammit, I wish I could leave, but James' instructions said I had to go to this bank or else Bella would be in danger. "No, man, you were great. This is more than I've gotten from anyone else. Okay, so here's what I need you to do. Call Eleazar, take him with you and drive all the way down that road and back a hundred times if you have to. We need to find them, E.B. If and when you find a shack with suspicious activity around it, call this number immediately."

I gave him Charlie's cell phone number because I wasn't sure exactly what was going down today. If I didn't come back alive, at least Charlie could have a good lead to find his daughter . . . and his grandchild. "Don't go in until you've called the number. It's Bella's father who's with the FBI, and I want them to handle it; we can't afford any screw ups, you got it?"

Currently, Charlie and I were rounding the corner block of the bank's location. He kept looking at his watch, then his cell phone.

"Staring at the phone isn't going to make it ring, trust me." I didn't know why I felt the need to be curt to Bella's father, Mr. FBI and my child's grandfather. Tension was building, and it was affecting me. A lot.

"Just mind your own business and keep driving. We have a job to do, so you'd better not mess it up! This is my daughter we're dealing with, and I can't afford any fuck ups today." It seemed Charlie was as tense as I was.

"Don't you think I know that? It's my girlfriend! I'd never do anything to harm her, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't imply that I would!"

"Listen to me, young man, just because you're dating my daughter doesn't give you a right to take control over this situation and act like you know what you're doing because you don't. You need to leave it to the professionals."

"Excuse me, but I've dealt with men like James many times. I know what kind of people these guys are, and they don't care who they take out. It's why I'm here and am doing what I'm told."

Charlie scoffed at my remarks. "Kid, no offense, but you're in way over your head. You just think you know how these gang members work; you have no idea about the big, bad world out there."

Is this guy for real? I knew I had an anger management problem in the past, and I really was trying to get a hold of it now. However, I couldn't escape my next words.

"With all due respect, sir, I'm going in that bank in order to save Bella's life. I'm aware we don't know what it is he's planning, but I'm going in to find out. I can't afford anything happening to her, especially since it's my fault she's kidnapped in the first place! He's already killed my men along with my ex, and he's going to stop at nothing to get back at me, so just let me handle this, okay?" My voice got louder and louder as my word vomit continued.

Regret comes in many forms, and at this particular moment, I was so consumed by my mistake of telling Charlie my secrets, I had driven right past the damn bank. I slammed down on the stupid brakes and made a sharp turn in the adjacent lot, causing Charlie to grab on to the dash and the handle above him.

I knew his next actions were to probably handcuff me to the steering wheel, but as we both got situated back into our regular sitting positions, a long haired man walked in front of us about twenty yards.

I'd recognize that nasty ass hair a mile away. "Shit! Look straight ahead, Charlie!"

Charlie glanced up, and the timing couldn't have been any better. I could only imagine the words he wanted to say to me right now, but we had hit the jackpot by passing up the bank and now watching James talk to someone in a dark blue sedan.

I pulled into a parking space close enough for us to see them, but without a direct line of vision for them to notice us.

Charlie spoke up. "Son, we really need to discuss what you just told me, but we're going to take down this jerk right here and now. I'm having some really sneaky suspicions about you, but we have the same end goal, and that's to get Bella back here in one piece. I swear to you, if you fuck this up in any way, you'll never see the light of day again, do you hear me?"

I swallowed the saliva that pooled in my mouth. "Sir, when it comes to your daughter, I'll do anything."

Charlie pulled out his Nextel and radioed his men. "Sam, we have the target in our view at the north side of Walgreen's parking lot. I want this man apprehended immediately. If he puts up a fight, then wound him, but don't kill him. He's wearing a long sleeved plaid shirt and has his hair back in a pony tail; suspect is probably armed and dangerous, so please proceed with caution."

Charlie glanced over at me, giving me a long look before he said anything. "Son, I have a bad feeling about you, and most of the time, my gut is always right. I have no idea what is going on between you and my daughter, and quite frankly, I'm scared to find out. Right now, I have to get rid of the bastard who's holding her hostage somewhere, so first, I'm going to deal with him. You're next on my list, so you need to stay right where you're seated. Make any moves, and I will shoot you first and ask questions later. Understand?"

I nodded.

He opened the door quietly, ducking down behind it and walking back behind my car. I could see three agents stationed across the street now as well as two others flanking the south side of the parking lot. James had no idea he was being closed in on which made me relieved to no end.

My .38 special was in its rightful place under my seat, so if Charlie's men fucked this up, I was definitely taking matters in my own hands. Sitting there in the driver's seat, my thumbs began to tap on the steering wheel. My hand still hurt like hell, but imagining what Bella was going through right now made the pain subside. Hell, who am I kidding? My pain occurred mainly in my chest. It felt like a big, empty hole in there with no amount of drugs to help it feel better. Only knowing that Bella and the baby were safe would ease it any.

Thinking of drugs also made my stomach hurt. How could I have been a fool all those years ago, thinking of getting into a stupid business like this? Yes, I had made tons of money doing it and had gained such wealth and prestige, but what did I have to show for it? I knew I was done and where I was headed after this was all over. If anything good came out of this at all, it's that I could leave enough money for Bella and our child to live on so they'd have nothing to worry about in the future.

Another thing I felt remorseful about was leaving our child with only one parent to care for him – or her. It was only Mom and me for the longest time, so I knew what it was like to not have a father figure in my life. I really didn't want that for my child. If Charlie could arrest James today and Bella makes it through this, I vowed right here and now to change my life around. I'd do anything it took to make things right. Charlie could have all my contacts in the drug world plus all my shipment contracts and warehouses that maybe he would be lenient on me.

Hell, who was I kidding? I was going away for a long time. Ugh. Staring out the window, the agents still hadn't made their move on James, and he still leaned against the blue sedan, now smoking a cigarette and talking on his phone. Currently, he seemed oblivious to what was going on around him.

Suddenly, I decided something. Grabbing a pen and paper, I started writing down dates, locations, names, etc. Everything I could think of to help the Feds stop the war on drugs I had helped create. Maybe someday my son or daughter could forgive me. I had nothing in my past for them to be proud of, so maybe this piece of information could help relinquish a small amount of regret I was sure to pass on to them. When I was finished, I stuck the paper in the cup holder hoping Charlie would find it later.

Peering out the window, I noticed something strange was going on in the car he leaned up against. It appeared he was talking to a woman in the car because I saw someone with long brown hair in the driver's seat, but the person was flailing their arms everywhere. It was then that I saw what the woman was wearing.

I had to do something fast. I knew Charlie must not have noticed that he had Bella in that car; something that neither of us had figured on, so I did the only thing I could do at the moment. Grabbing my gun, I stepped quietly out of the car, ducking down to make my way closer to get a better shot at him. I knew I could take him out if given a direct line of vision.

By the time I had a clear shot, it was too late. Special agents were holding up their guns, marking their territory in a perimeter around the blue sedan making James' escape a scarce option. Somehow, Charlie had gotten hold of a bullhorn and was currently talking into it, capturing James attention.

"James Tanner! You are currently surrounded by Federal agents from all sides. It's time to give yourself up, so step away from the vehicle at this time!"

I'd never seen fear on James face before. He moved so fast I don't think anyone could've gotten to him that quickly. He yanked the woman out of the car, pulling her to the front of his body and grabbing a gun out of the back waistband of his pants.

It was James' turn to shout. "Come one step closer, and I will blow her head off! I am not kidding around here. Whoever's in charge, tell them to get back now!"

I saw Charlie out of the corner of my eye, standing at the north end of Walgreens, his bullhorn hanging to his side and his other hand wiping his brow. If we had thought things were bad before, they were horrendous now. I kept looking at Bella in the beautiful blue dress she wore the night of her kidnapping. She didn't seem drugged at the moment, but I could tell she was scared senseless. It struck me as odd because knowing her background now and especially seeing her in action, I wouldn't have thought her to be nervous.

Currently, her arms clung to James' arm, which was clutched tight around her neck. She didn't struggle at all, she just stood there as he continued to point the gun to her head.

I had to do something; I wasn't about to stand there and let him scare the shit out of Bella and possibly kill her. We had come too far and had way too much to lose. I caught up to where Charlie was standing on the side of the building, approaching him with the utmost caution,

"Charlie, I can do this. It's me he wants; not Bella. She's just a pawn to him, so let me be the exchange hostage!"

He looked at me like I had two heads. "What the fuck are you talking about? How could you possibly know this scumbag?"

No way in hell was I getting into all that right now. "Listen to me. Just trust me when I tell you it's me he wants, and not your daughter. I need to go out there now before he does something really stupid."

"Look, Mr. Anthony, this is a federal investigation, and I understand you're in love with my daughter. However, you have to step aside to let me do my job. You're a civilian, and you're only going to get hurt."

He wasn't listening to me. Desperate times called for desperate measures. "Mr. Swan, my name is not Edward Anthony. It's Edward Cullen. I'm the man your daughter has been trying to put away all these months. Obviously, we can't go into a lot of detail right now, because I want to see her safe, so please, for the love of God, let me save her. My life means nothing without her!"

Charlie's face turned to a look of shock. "What the hell? Are you serious? I'm having you arrested!" He grabbed a hold of his Nextel, getting ready to speak into it when I grabbed it from him, throwing it down hard on the ground and smashing it with the heel of my shoe.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? You just cut off the lines of communication for all my agents, you idiot!"

"Trust me when I tell you you're not going to need it. You need to listen to me, Mr. Swan. James and I go way back. His father dated my mother when we were in high school. He was the one who got me into the drug business, and I ended up taking it from him. He's hell bent on revenge, taking everything I've ever loved and cared about. He wants my business, my life and now, my girlfriend. I can't let him succeed. I WON'T let him succeed. I know which of his buttons to push to get us Bella back, so you're going to have to handcuff me now, or let me be Bella's best chance of survival!"

I could tell Charlie was frantically weighing his options. I couldn't wait any longer. I stuck my gun in the front of my waistband and just kept walking straight toward James.

Charlie screamed at me while I walked away. "Wait, Edward! There's something you need to know. Don't go running off. I have to tell you something!"

I ignored Charlie as I neared my destination; looking straight into the biggest smile spread against his ugly face. Something else was off; either Bella grew about four inches, or that wasn't her he was holding in his clutches. What the hell was going on? There was no turning back now, but who the hell was he holding hostage?

I glanced up, noticing the FBI agents in place, but I really didn't care. Deep down inside, I knew this was the right thing to do. All of the bad things in my life were now coming to fruition, and this was the final showdown. It seemed like my past flashed through my eyes as I saw my mother, Emmett, my flashy cars, my businesses, the five homes I owned in different parts of the world, not to mention a beautiful brown-eyed girl holding a chubby baby zip through my memory like wildfire. I deserved none of these fine things in life; my destiny was laid out in front of me, and it was time to pay.

As I approached them, I noticed the girl clearly wasn't Bella. Not only did James have a gun in his right hand pointing it toward the woman's head, but he also had a hunting knife in his left. Man, I really could use a cigarette about now. Oddly enough, I was stressed out worrying about Bella, but I wasn't the least bit concerned about myself. I had lived a good life, affording all the luxuries the world had to offer; well, all except a real family to share it with. But that's okay; I'd at least be leaving a legacy onto this earth.

Upon further inspection and closer proximity, I recognized the girl masquerading as Bella. It was Victoria. Oh my God. Vicky? My mind thought to all the times she had visited me at my house and most recently at work. It all started to make sense. She was James' accomplice the whole time. She had access to my house, hell I let her in whenever she wanted. My house was carte blanche to her, and I was too stupid to realize it. Vicky totally played me for a fool. Hell, I'd almost feel sorry for her, us being in this situation together, if she hadn't taken advantage of me this whole time. I guess she was getting what she deserved too.

"Well, well, well. Isn't this special, Vicky? It looks like your little angel is here to save you. However, it's not what you expected, is it ole' Eddie boy?" James laughed cynically, as if he said something funny. "Looks like I finally pulled a fast one on you for a change. How's it feel to have the tables turned on you for once, huh? I've been waiting for this all my life; however I did picture it a little differently."

Not that I wanted Victoria to live, but I did want justice to be served, so I decided to do the right thing. "Let her go, Jimmy. This is between you and me. The Feds will take care of her," I said as I glanced around, looking at the agents in place.

"If only it were that easy, Copper Top. Don't you want to know where your precious Isabella is? And what makes you think I'm giving in to your demands? Vicky here has been a huge help to me for the past year. I'm sure you've figured out by now it was her who's been helping me take down your business these past few months. She's been sabotaging you for awhile now, and you had no idea. The plan worked perfectly, having her live near you, popping in whenever she felt the need for a little afternoon delight. And you were definitely a willing participant; it's been way too easy, Eddie-kins."

Vicky looked at me, a smirk on her face as James kept blabbering on and on. She wasn't the least bit scared, which made me realize this might have been Plan B in case Plan A fell through.

"Aren't I the best actress you've ever seen, lover boy?"

"Where's Bella, you asshole! I don't care about the two of you. These agents will do their job quite handily; just tell me so we can get this whole charade out of the way."

James' voice reached shouting level now. "Fuck you, Edward! If you even think I'd tell you where I have her held, you have another thing coming. You stole my life, my livelihood, and now you're going to pay dearly for everything you've done to me. You'll never see your precious Bella again; I've made sure of that. By the way, she's quite the firecracker. I'd forgotten just how great she was in bed until we reconnected. And the things she can do with her mouth, oh my! It didn't take long for us to get to know each to the fullest ex-″

It all happened in less than five seconds. I totally lost control, knowing he spewed lies about Bella because I know she'd never touch this psycho. As I reached for my gun, I saw James dig the knife into Victoria's side almost instantly, almost making her collapse at James' knees.

However, James held her up, apparently not wanting to let the FBI agents know he stabbed her.

To say she was surprised was an understatement. I'm not sure I'd remember why he stabbed her later on, but right now, I couldn't care less. She was a whole part of this sadistic plan, taking many innocent lives so she was just an afterthought.

Charlie's voiced echoed loudly through the bullhorn. "You have nowhere to go, James. Drop your weapon now, and you won't get hurt. Let Bella go now, or you will be shot within thirty seconds! Edward, put your gun down. We are taking care of the situation."

For all the agents knew, Bella/Victoria was just clinging on to James because the stab wound was on her right side, away from the agents' point of vision.

My gun still drawn, we now stood in front of each other; guns pointing right at the other's heart. But he kept a hold of her, practically dragging her toward me so he could swap the two of us. My eyes darted to the back alleyway between the two buildings we were beside, knowing James would take off and head toward there if given half a second.

I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let him get away and do God knows what. Vicky gasped and moaned in between the two of us alerting me to the fact one more person was succumbing to this whole vendetta.

Blood started dripping out of her mouth and nose as I assumed she was bleeding badly internally. James obviously didn't care about her too much because he made no attempt to apologize or tell her thank you for all her dirty work. She tried to speak as she held on to her side where he wounded her.

"James, how could you? We were going away together; taking over this whole empire . . . you lied to me." Her breathing got shallower as she tried to get more words out. Then, she turned and looked straight at me. "1221 Oxford Road. He drugged her up pretty good ─"

In an instant, shots rang out, blistering my hearing and my sense of balance because suddenly, I found myself falling on my knees. I had initially tried not to fall onto Victoria, but somehow I couldn't stop myself. James had the same problem too; his knees buckled to the ground, and he began to stumble forward right on top of us.

I could hear weird sounds around us; sounds I couldn't quite place. Then, footsteps and yelling, lots of yelling as men in black jackets wearing sunglasses and earpieces surrounded us in a matter of seconds it seemed.

Something on my shirt felt wet suddenly, and my knees hurt from falling onto the pavement. Victoria lay beside me, blood pouring out of her side and over her hands as she still held onto the wound, but I could tell she wasn't going to make it. Her breaths were short, her eyes rolling backwards as her face got paler by the second. My hand still held my gun, but it was hard to hold on to it much longer. I looked over to my other side and saw James slumped over, his gun about a foot away from him.

Guns were drawn on all of us as the agents yelled to cease all movement. I prayed silently that James was not injured but dead, dead as in permanently dead. Once I saw an agent kick away James' gun so it was out of reach, I yelled for Charlie.

"Agent Swan! Hurry up and someone get me Charlie Swan!" Whoa, for some reason, my voice was scratchy as I found it tiring to get the words out.

Agents swarmed around Victoria, as I'm sure they still thought it was Charlie's daughter that was hurt. I saw Charlie out of the corner of my eye as he went up to her, pulling her hair away from her face. I tried to speak again, but this time no words came out.

"What the hell? This isn't Bella! Where is she?" Charlie was now freaking out as he went over to James' limp body. "C'mon you son of a bitch! You can't be dead! Wake up, you piece of shit! Where's my daughter?" Tears flowed down his face as he was hit with the realization James would not be telling him where he kept her.

He was talking suddenly on his phone to someone as I tried to talk again to no avail. He turned around telling some agents to go somewhere right away. What the hell was wrong with me? I tried to get up when agents screamed at me to stay still and not move a muscle.

Within a few seconds, I heard Charlie's voice. "Edward, it's going to be okay. We've called an ambulance, and they're on their way. Hang in there, son."

"What are you talking about?" Now, my voice was at a low whisper, making me realize the severity of the situation.

"James shot you right before you shot him. Turn around slowly for me, okay? I don't see an exit wound so the bullet is still lodged in you somewhere. We still need to find Bella, but now I just don't know how we're supposed to do that. Dammit, I told you to keep your gun in the damn car! Why didn't you just listen to me?"

His anger and frustration was totally justified. I didn't even know I got a shot off, but I guess it's because I was shot first, and I reacted out of impulse.

Damn, I'm shot? Why didn't I feel anything? I opened my mouth but my breathing was short, and it dawned on me, I was shot in the chest. That's where the moistness came from, but I had to tell Charlie the address before I lost consciousness. I had to tell him that there was hope. I reached up and grabbed his shirt, opening my mouth to talk again but instead, chose to point to his phone. He let me have it and I found the text button, frantically trying to type as fast as I could.

I typed out the address as well as the words "Bella at" and handed the phone back to him. His eyes took one look at the address, and he looked at me as if the world had been lifted off his shoulders. "Are you sure?"

I nodded slowly, and he smiled, patting me on the shoulder as he scrambled over to another agent, telling them to get cars over to that address immediately.

I heard sirens getting closer as my surroundings started turning black. It was almost over. Bella just had to be okay. Remembering Victoria saying she was drugged made me sick to my stomach; this was my entire fault. I had probably killed the only two things I'd ever loved in life; I'd have laughed if I could at how this whole thing turned into such a Shakespearean tragedy.

Could a pregnant woman have a healthy baby if she took drugs one time? Hell, I wasn't even sure if it was just one time; she'd been gone over twenty-four hours, what if she was drugged the whole time? Damn, I wish I had my computer right now. My eyes became heavier and heavier as I now heard more footsteps and paramedics running toward me, stretcher and all.

I had no idea how long they worked on me in the parking lot before I felt myself being lifted and an oxygen mask being put over my face. However, I knew I had started hallucinating as Charlie's face became a vision in front of me. He was saying something about my mother for some reason. What the hell did he know about my mother?

"Edward, can you hear me? Listen, I need to tell you something before they take you away. Your mother is alive, Edward. She's alive and has been working with us for years to bring down James and his Black Squid gang. However, she was kidnapped by him months ago, but we just received a phone call from her. She's alive, Edward – and she found Bella too. Your men found them in a shack at that address you gave me. They're both going to be okay!"

God really loved me for some reason. He let me depart from this world in the most glorious way by giving me a dream he knew I'd be content with. The two most important women in my life appeared to me in a vision as a long single sound came from behind me from the monitor. Now, I could die in peace.

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**A/N: One more chapter left! Wow, I can't believe it. Thanks to all of you for leaving reviews and for the story alerts. It's so hard to comprehend I'm almost done with this story but it's been a fun road and a great experience for me. There will be an epilogue too so we know if these two got to ride off in the sunset or if Bella's visiting Edward's grave. Hmmm. You'll have to read the last two chapters to find out! **


	32. Chapter 32

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight but this one is mine. Many thanks to Ange and my newest beta Tiffany!**

**Chapter 31 – The Mystery Woman**

BPOV

Strange hands were guiding me out of this beaten down old shack while I tried to maintain some sense of balance. It seemed like the walls kept moving, obstructing our path to find our way out of this hellhole. The lady to my left kept a tight hold of my wrist while repeatedly whispering something about James' men guarding the house. She said her name was Esme. How in the hell did she end up here like me, and why was James keeping her hostage too?

I knew my mind wasn't thinking clearly, especially since James pumped those damn drugs into my system. I feared for my baby, knowing there was nothing I could do about it but pray for a miracle. As we got closer to the door, somehow my FBI instincts kicked in, and I stopped us before the woman who rescued me touched the knob.

"Wait." My voice sounded like it resonated around the room while my lips felt like rubber when I spoke. I broke away from her tight grasp to peer out the dilapidated blinds. "Esme, I know I can't see very clearly, but it looks to me like there are five men out there with guns. Can you double check?"

I moved out of her way while she looked through the window. "Yes, dear, you're right. The strange thing is, there's a car hidden in the bushes over to the left. I've never noticed that before. That leads me to believe we may even have more trouble than usual." She sighed heavily, making me more nervous by the second. "Maybe the men standing outside can't see the car from where they're located."

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but we should go back in our rooms. I'm in no condition to try and escape, unfortunately. I won't be of any help to you at all."

My balance was so unstable, I had to grab hold of the back of a broken down chair in the kitchen. "I feel so dizzy. I'm tired too; I feel like I can barely make it out of here. What's happening to me?"

Esme had her arms wrapped around me in an instant. "Why don't you sit down for a second? I want to assess the situation anyway." She moved around the kitchen very carefully, almost as if she knew how to stay out of the line of sight in a trained atmosphere.

After moving about for a couple minutes, she finally spoke softly again while peeking through the blinds. "Joe and Kevin never leave each other's side, and their shift ends in an hour. Steve and Vinnie cover the west side of the house, and they're never to leave their post unless it's for a restroom break. Francisco's job is to guard the front door so we don't escape; however, he's the one who took pity on me and turned soft. I think he might have a thing for me which led me to play on his emotions these past few weeks."

Holy shit. From what I just heard, Esme had been staking out the situation while no one really noticed. Thank God one of James' men came to his senses and helped her out. I couldn't imagine being drugged up in this nasty place for months on end. How did she ever last in here?

I was getting nauseous now along with having the feeling of the room spinning, and I ended up running to the kitchen sink and throwing up what little water I had in my system. Was I still experiencing morning sickness, or was it the effect of the drugs? Whatever it was, I hoped it would help clear out my system because we needed to get the hell out of here.

"Oh honey, I know it's bad. I'm going to try my best to get you out of here. I need to tell you something. I'm actually a trained agent, working with the FBI, but they captured me over the past few months, drugging me up just like they did you. It wasn't until Francisco stopped giving me the drugs James had ordered that I've gotten sober again these past few weeks. I've gone through some really bad withdrawals and have just started acting normal again."

What the hell? My dad didn't tell me he had another undercover person working with him. "You're an undercover agent too?" My words slurred as they escaped from my mouth. I grabbed the nearest washrag to wash off my mouth.

Esme looked as shocked as I was. "Honey, I think you're delusional. Those drugs are doing quite the number on you."

My eyelids felt droopy while I stared at her earnestly. "Yes, the drugs are unfortunately doing a number on me. However, I do know what I'm telling you is the truth. I am a federal agent. I'd show you my badge, but I don't have it on me, and for the life of me, I can't remember the damn number at the moment."

"What's your name?" _She just decided on asking me that now?_

"Well, at least I know that answer. It's Bella. Bella Swan."

"Charlie's daughter? Oh, my goodness! Why didn't I recognize you before now? I've heard him talk about you many times and seen your picture on his desk, but I didn't put two and two together. Were you undercover to arrest James as well?"

My dad had a separate undercover mission this whole time, and I didn't know about it? How the hell did that happen?

"No, unfortunately I was kidnapped for a completely different reason. It appears that I was caught in a revenge scheme; I was a pawn in his morbid idea of a chess game, and I was not on the winning end. James was dead set on getting back at one of his childhood friends. I just got caught in the crossfire."

She stared at me like I had three heads which was pretty funny because through my eyes, she had two. "Why in the world would that involve you if you hadn't been found out? That doesn't make any sense. James must've realized you were FBI is all."

"No, I don't think he does. It's all my fault. I fell in love with the wrong guy, and I'm paying for it – severely."

"You should sit down, sweetheart, you're looking awfully pale. You'll have to tell me all about the real reason, but right now, we have to get out of here. Francisco promised to help us escape with the contingency he gets on the witness protection program. I told him I could make that happen, but I'm curious about the car parked on the east side. It wasn't part of the plan, so I'm not sure what's going on just yet. The white sedan parked right out front is what we're supposed to use to get away. He's going to come in and check on us, tell the others there's a problem, and make them all run in here. We're supposed to hide out in the kitchen pantry while they run in the back of the house, then run like hell to the car. He's leaving the keys in it for us."

Even though I was still reeling from the effects of the drugs, relief washed over me as I put my hands on my stomach. "Hang in there, Peanut, we might make it out of here alive after all," I whispered to my unborn child.

My head rose up just in time for Esme to notice me. "What did you just say, Bella?"

"Oh, nothing." _Dammit._

"Please tell me you're not pregnant, honey." She quickly strode over to me, kneeling down and touching my knee. When I didn't look up, she put her hands under my chin, lifting up my head. "Oh, no, you are, aren't you?"

The floodgates opened, and she immediately comforted me, wrapping her arms around me tightly. "I'm so screwed, aren't I, Esme? Can I possibly have a normal baby now that James shot me up with God knows what? I really didn't plan this pregnancy, it just happened, but now that it has, I want this child more than anything."

She didn't move for a minute, making me more paranoid that I was right. "Well, we couldn't know for sure until you had tests run. To my knowledge, taking drugs one time shouldn't have that much affect on the fetus, but unfortunately, I'm not a doctor. Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. Have they fed you anything since you've been here?"

My lips were so dry, I could feel they were cracked, letting me know I was dehydrated. "I've had a few Twinkies and some other junk food, but that's all. I'm so thirsty too."

Esme got up hurriedly and grabbed me a glass of water. "We really need to get you out of here. You have got to start taking prenatal vitamins and get yourself properly fed. Does anyone know?"

Grasping at the glass with two hands, I chugged it like there was no tomorrow. Who knew water could taste so good? While she got up to refill it again, I answered her. "Actually, you're the only person who knows. It seems odd for me to tell you when you're a complete stranger and have no ties to me whatsoever. Please don't tell anyone if we ever get out of here alive. I need to find out if the baby is all right first. Then I can let the right people know."

Esme took my hand in hers and patted them. "It's going to be all right, Bella. I'm going to get us out of here. May I ask you one more question?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Why doesn't the father know?"

The spinning had died down a little by now, and things were becoming a little more in focus. I didn't know this woman at all, but yet, I felt a strange connection with her. Knowing I needed to briefly tell her my story in case something happened to me, I unloaded on her. I told her everything about how Edward and I literally ran into each other in a lingerie store and how he showed me around Miami when we first met. I told her he took me to his favorite Cuban restaurant in Little Havana and how he swept me off my feet by his kind generosity and caring ways.

"However, the story takes a turn for the worst. I was working undercover at the company I was assigned to take down when I come to find out; he was one of the founders. I had no idea because he kept his identity pretty much a secret, or at least his name and picture out of the limelight. Can you believe that? I fell in love with the man I was delegated to bring in. I'm such a fool."

"Bella, I'm the queen of sad endings. My life has definitely not been a Norman Rockwell painting. I've done some very bad things, but I'm trying to make amends for all of that. I hate to come right out and say this, but did he die?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. Well, at least I hope not. That's the next thing I was going to tell you. The reason I've been kidnapped by James is because my boyf-, the father of my child, is the person he's been getting revenge on this whole time."

Suddenly, Esme had this funny look on her face. "Wait a minute. What does your boyfriend do for a living?"

I let out a soft chuckle. "Well, that would depend on who you ask. Legitimately, he owns an exotic sports car business, but he's made his millions selling and running dr-″

She stood up and ran to the sink, throwing cold water on her face. Her hands stopped at her mouth, covering it while turning around and looking at me. "You're dating E-Edward?"

"How do you know his name? Oh, of course being with the FBI, you're part of the sting operation to bring him down as well, huh?"

She walked back over to me, placing her hand on my stomach. Looking directly at me, tears flowed down her cheeks. "Let's get you and that baby out of here. There's nothing more important right now then getting that child to safety and out of harm's way."

We started toward the door when we heard a loud mega horn go off. "We have the place surrounded. Put down your weapons now!"

In what seemed like mere seconds, gunshots sounded off with lots of yelling and screaming. Esme and I ran and hid in an old pantry closet in the front of the shack while the shooting continued. My head was killing me, making me realize that either the drugs were wearing off, or James gave me some really potent stuff.

Suddenly, the front door opened, making us cringe with nervousness at who could be coming to either help or hurt us.

"Bella Swan? Are you in here? Esme? It's the FBI. It's safe to come out. We've secured the perimeter and taken out all of James' men. It's over. You're going to be okay."

Tears of joy and excitement flowed as we both came out of the pantry closet, ecstatic to see one of our agents standing in front of us with his Kevlar gear on. I still felt really sick, as if my head would explode at any minute. It was a matter of time before I could get to the hospital which thrilled me to no end.

I wanted to get back home and see Edward. We needed to talk and figure out this situation we were in, and I knew I had to let him know about the baby. Thinking of telling Charlie about our child made my head hurt even worse. It was going to be bad.

"It's good to see you ladies. Are you in need of medical attention?" The FBI agent started the regular round of questions as he sat us down to check us out.

"Bella needs to go to the hospital right away. She's been injected with a drug we're not familiar with, and she's badly dehydrated and in need of the right nourishment. I'm fine." Esme acted on instincts that allowed me to deduce were not all professional. She sounded totally like a mom in action to me. It was obvious she had children that she had cared for once before.

The agent immediately dialed a number on his cell. "We found Bella and Esme, Mr. Swan. They're in decent condition; it seems Bella is under the influence of something, but we're not sure what. We're taking them to the hospital now to get checked out. We just took out eight of his men. Only one of our guys is wounded, but it's a surface wound, so he's going to be fine. No sign of James though, sir."

"I want to talk to him." With all the strength I could muster, I managed to have a clear head, but the headache seemed to be progressing instead of letting up.

"Dad? Yes, I'm okay. Things are a little . . . foggy though. He gave me something, and I'm not sure what it is. It's scaring me. What's that? Yes, I did meet Esme. She's been really helpful, but why didn't you tell me there was another agent on the case? Uh-huh . . . did she tell me anything about why she was put on the case? No, not that I can remember. Charlie, I'm really not feeling well, I think I need to –″

All I heard was my name being shouted as my knees buckled under me, making everything suddenly go black.

"Bella! Guys, pick her up gently, please. She needs to get to a hospital as soon as possible. There's no time to waste!"

XXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Esme POV

A baby. My son was going to be a father which was going to make me a grandmother. This wasn't supposed to happen. So, Bella's job consisted of bringing down the ring my son started, but no one could have predicted her falling in love with him. Oh my God. What would happen now? Why didn't Charlie tell me it was his daughter who was doing the shakedown? Maybe he thought our paths wouldn't cross, but that seemed pretty unlikely given everything's that happened.

When I first approached the FBI, it was for Edward's benefit. It was the day of his high school graduation when I discovered what he was up to. I was in his room looking for old pictures to put in a scrapbook for him as a gift when I encountered loads of rolled up cash hidden for no one to find. There was no way he could've made that kind of money legitimately, so I knew something shady was going on with him.

High school graduation day. That was a day I'll never forget, because so many treacherous happenings occurred in that twenty – four hour period. Aro had just found out I had been pretending to be a drug addict for months; that man was so stupid, I thought I could get by for a little while longer, but he had other things in store for me. By this time, I had already met Agent Charlie Swan and decided to help him infiltrate the local drug ring in our small Florida town.

It was ironic how he and I met each other. There was a favorite diner of mine just around the corner from my house where I liked to go for coffee and pie every Sunday. Apparently, he enjoyed the diner too. I hadn't seen him in there before, and somehow, I managed to strike up a conversation with him over the current pie of the day, and we ended up talking for hours. For some reason, I felt this connection with him and decided to unload quite a lot of baggage about my personal life.

He told me he was in town for business; an assignment of sorts which sounded all top secret. Obviously, that was the case, because when I started telling him about my addiction, his ears perked up. We met there again quite a few times over the course of the next couple of weeks before he left to go back to his home state when he asked me the strangest question.

"Esme, if you don't mind me prying, how did you come to receive these illegal drugs you were taking?" Charlie didn't mince words, so I poured out my heart to him, telling him my connections with Aro and his son, and unbeknownst to me, sealing Aro's fate.

It was then that Agent Swan had asked for my help in catching Aro and his men, getting them off the street for good and paving the way for me to have a drug-free life.

Getting back to the fateful graduation day, I felt everything backfire in my face. Aro and I had been fighting quite a bit which was nothing new, but I had no idea how my life would be taking such a drastic turn. Finding all the rolled bundles of money made me sick to my stomach because I knew Edward had been messing with the wrong people, and I prayed it wasn't Aro's son, James. He was bad news. I knew my work was cut out for me; I had to talk to Edward and let him know selling drugs was not the way to go. Yes, we were broke, but together, we could get jobs and make something of ourselves. I had applied for financial aid and student loans unbeknownst to Edward, and I couldn't wait to tell him about it when we got approval.

I was finally clean, and my son was graduating. I couldn't be happier – or so I thought. In the morning, I met with Charlie, giving him the rest of the information I had on Aro which I knew would send him away for a really long time. It was such a load off my shoulders to know he wouldn't be stealing what little money I had left and pushing more drugs on me. However, Aro had something in store for me, blindsiding me completely.

_I had just sat down for a cup of coffee in my kitchen when Aro entered. The day had gone smoothly with Edward and Emmett walking proudly down the high school gymnasium floor, cap and gown swishing by as I looked like the proudest mom ever. Tears were flowing, but for once, they were happy tears; definitely not the usual sad, depressed ones. It was now sunset, my face feeling the warmth of the setting sun as I looked out the back window taking another sip and setting the mug down._

"_So, today was a great day, huh?" Aro asked, sitting down beside me._

_I looked over at his face, knowing he would never be sitting across from me again, and I'd forever be rid of him. Charlie Swan would make sure of that._

"_Perfect."_

"_I know a way it could even be better. Here, try this." He handed me a handful of pills; I wasn't quite sure what they were, but if I had to guess, they were amphetamines._

"_No, thanks, Aro. I just want to enjoy today – drug free. You can understand that, can't you?"_

"_Actually, no I can't. You need a little pick-me-up, and I'm just the man to provide it. What's the harm, Esme? It's not like you're a saint or anything. Edward's not going to know."_

"_The answer is no! Just leave me alone; it's been a perfect day, so let's not ruin it." I no longer got the words out of my mouth when his large hand smacked me right across the face._

_Immediately, I was thrown to the floor. He had hit me so hard I fell out of my chair, blood trickling down from my nose and onto my top lip._

"_What the hell do you think you're doing? Get away from me!"_

"_How stupid do you think I am, Esme? I know you've been sober for months. You're playing me. What's going on?"_

"_I have no idea what you're talking about!"_

"_Please don't embarrass yourself, Esme. I've had you followed for the past couple of weeks. You're seeing someone else, so don't even try to lie about it."_

_I went to pick myself off the floor, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. As I stood up, he came back behind me, pulling a fistful of hair and yanking it so hard I screamed out in pain._

"_Listen up, bitch! You will end this, or I will end YOU, got it?"_

_I had no idea what came over me, but with all the strength I could muster, I dug my heel on the top of his foot so hard, he doubled over, screaming bloody murder. All the years of pent up anger came out in that one stomp. All the hatred, the years of physical and emotional abuse, the loss of the husband I loved so dearly, and for the love of the child I so cherished, I crushed his foot as hard as I could and ran like hell._

_I made it to the bedroom, frantically searching for the shoebox that was neatly maneuvered under my bed. He was getting closer by the sound of his footsteps, so I hurried as fast as I could. Encased in this old shoe box were two things I knew I might need in case something drastic happened. Unfortunately, that time had come. _

_Throwing the lid off, I grabbed the letter and the earring, setting them on the bed. I prayed this day would never come, but in case it ever did, I had written the note long ago when I was in a very bad way. I didn't want to ever leave Edward, but knowing how unstable I could be, it was a necessity, just as the .38 was in this situation. _

_Locking myself in the bathroom, I peered up at the small window opening. I had no choice but to try and break through, so it was now or never. It wasn't until seconds later; Aro was trying to pound the door in._

"_Dammit, Esme! Let me in, or you'll live to regret it! I swear I'll kill you!"_

_My breathing picked up as I fidgeted with the damn lock on the window that wouldn't budge. "C'mon, c'mon!"_

_I cursed as I grabbed my shoe off my foot, slamming it into the window as shards of glass were being knocked out onto the windowsill._

_Aro must've been using a chair to slam into the door because pieces of wood were splintering into the bathroom. Just as his hand went through to reach for the doorknob, the window hole was now big enough for me to crawl through. I stepped on the toilet, leaving my shoes behind, and climbed out through the now broken window, glass cutting me everywhere on my body._

_I landed in the bushes just as his arms went to grab me. Picking myself up, I ran toward my car, looking everywhere for Edward. Instead, Aro was hot on my heels, and I had nothing left to do but one thing._

_I aimed my gun right at him._

"_Stop, or I swear I'll shoot!"_

"_Really? C'mon, sweetheart. I know you love me. You could never shoot me. It was all a little misunderstanding, right? Let's forget this ever happened, baby. I forgive you." Aro took a step toward me, making me back up instantly._

"_Step away! I'm warning you. I am done with you ruling my life and taking away everything I own. You've ruined me, you've ruined my son, and you are going down!"_

"_I never ruined anything, Esme. You did it all by yourself. You're nothing but a low-life bitch, a user and a has-been. Your son is in deeper than me, for Christ's sake. As a matter of fact, he's next on my list. He's stolen all of my son's territory along with his business, so after I'm done with you, he'll be the next casualty, and I won't feel one bit of sorrow over either one of you!"_

_That was it. Although I could hear a car coming behind me, I couldn't wait any longer. I pulled the trigger, aiming for his deadened heart. He fell back quite a few feet, blood seeping onto his shirt as the car was now right beside me._

_It was done, and I didn't feel one ounce of regret. Actually I felt nothing. Next thing I knew, Charlie was holding me and one of his men ran out, grabbing Aro's body and throwing it in the car. He shoved me in, and we drove off as fast as he came in._

Bella looked severely pale but peaceful as they wheeled her into the emergency room. My heart ached for her; not only did she have drugs forced in her, she had to live with the fact that she inadvertently put her child in harm's way. Not to mention her baby's father was someone she accidentally fell in love with while trying to put him away for good.

Poor Edward. Did he love her? I prayed to God he didn't use her for his own personal gain. He couldn't have known who she was as her cover was rock solid. I had followed Edward closely for many years even though I never made contact with him since his graduation. He must hate me, but it had to be done. Everything I've ever done had been for him.

He got himself in the worst possible situation, and for years, I'd been trying to get him out. So many times I wanted to let him know that I was alive, but once I had made the commitment with the FBI, they had made me promise not to have any contact with him. James and his gang were the new, up and coming drug lords; the copycat mafia, so to speak. Charlie and his crew had been watching them for a year now, and the Black Squid gang was quickly rising to the FBI's most wanted list.

If I wanted to help my son, then I needed to help the FBI capture James; therefore, I needed to make a big decision. However, it wasn't that big of a decision for me. Edward was everything to me, and I had failed him before. Now was my time to make things better - for everyone. I could do this. It was something I needed to do for me, Edward and my country. Drugs had almost taken my life, and it had taken over most of Edward's, so it was the easiest decision I'd ever made.

I had made quite a few bargains with the FBI to try and get Edward's sentence down as much as I could. However, with all of the felonies he had racked up, he was still looking at quite a bit of jail time. When all of this was said and done, I wasn't sure what would happen to him exactly. I just wanted him to be safe for so long now, and since he had a baby coming, he really needed to step up and act like an adult.

As I sat with my head in my hands in the emergency room waiting for some word on Bella's condition, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Esme?" Charlie's voice was so comforting to hear after all these months.

I stood up so fast, my head started spinning. I raised my hand to my head just as my body began to sway. "Whoa!"

"Esme, are you okay?" Charlie grabbed me at the right time before my body collapsed in the chair. I was so worried about Bella and Edward that I hadn't even given myself another thought.

"I'm o-o-kay. I'm just a little dizzy for some reason. I'll be fine."

"Listen, Esme. There's something you need to know. It's Edward. In the middle of trying to get to James, he was shot. We had James cornered, but Edward went crazy on us and took matters in his own hands. James tricked all of us into thinking the woman he held hostage was Bella, but it wasn't. Edward didn't know that until he was too close. It all happened so fast, I'm so sorry."

"What are you trying to say, Charlie? Where is he? How is he? I need to see him!"

"The ambulance is bringing him here, actually. I sped ahead of them so I could let you know before they brought him through here. I have to warn you. It doesn't look good."

I fought back the tears as the bottle of water dropped from my hands. There was no way I could lose him; not after everything Bella and I just went through. Suddenly, my whole body started shaking uncontrollably and a cold rush of air ran through me.

"Esme, try and calm down. Please know they are doing everything they can for him. He'll be here any second so try and stay positive, okay? When is the last time you've eaten anything? You look quite malnourished. I'm getting a doctor. Stay right here, and I'll be right back."

I hadn't realized how thin I was, but I knew I had scarcely eaten in months. James only fed me junk food once every few days and a bottle of water every now and then. Since I'd been released from my captivity, I hadn't even thought about eating even though I was pretty hungry.

Within a few minutes, Charlie came back with bottled water and some crackers. "The doctor will be here shortly. I've already checked on Bella, and she's stable but they're running all kinds of tests on her. Do you know what kind of drugs was in her system?"

"No, I'm afraid not. Charlie, what are we going to do? Both of our kids are in serious trouble. Why did it have to end like this? After all the months of preparation trying to bring down James and his gang – and for what? For us to lose our babies?"

Charlie hugged me, holding me close and rubbing his hands down my back. It finally felt so good to have someone care about me again. All those months lying in filth and starving was beginning to take its toll. I laid my head on his shoulders as more tears trickled down my face and onto his shirt. Just as I brushed another one off my face, the ER doors crashed open and loud voices started shouting.

"We need an OR STAT! He's losing a lot of blood. We have a blood pressure of 49 over 30 and pulse is 40."

I ran out of Charlie's arms and rushed over to the stretcher screaming out his name. "Edward, I'm here, honey. It's me, your mother. I am so sorry for everything. Please know I love you!"

A nurse pushed me away. "Ma'am, you have to back away. We're doing everything we can for him. We need for you to go to the front desk and fill out some paperwork. You will be called once we know something, all right?"

It was all I could do to not cling on to that stretcher. "All these years, Charlie. All of this time, and I should have been there for him. Maybe instead of trying to lessen his charges and nail James, I should've let him know I was alive. This is all my fault!"

"Esme, none of this is your fault. You've done what you thought is best. Edward has made some really bad decisions in his life, and unfortunately, he's paying for them. We have to remain positive though because I'm sure he wouldn't want you so upset."

"Upset? Hell, he doesn't even know I'm alive let alone upset! I thought I was doing the right thing; I was a mess when I first killed Aro, so I know I couldn't have gone back to him then. The counseling has helped but you, Charlie, you have been my inspiration as well. You've helped get me back from a really bad place in my life, so if he can just pull through now, maybe he'll give me a second chance!"

I fell back into the armchair, sobbing into my hands but with the comfort of Charlie's arms around me. "Oh my. How could I be so selfish? Charlie, you haven't even seen Bella yet. I've taken all your time here. Please, I'm sure you're anxious to see your daughter."

"Don't worry, Esme. It was the first thing I did when I arrived. I asked at the front desk, and since they've taken her for tests, she can't have visitors for awhile. They said they'd come to get me as soon as she's back, so you're stuck with me."

We sat in the waiting room for the next few hours just talking about my time as a hostage in James' shack. It was a horrible experience, and I purposefully didn't fill Charlie in on every dirty detail because it was a moot point. James was dead and so were most of his henchmen. Charlie told me those of his men he captured had been spilling lots of secrets now that James was dead as they all feared for their lives when he was alive.

Not once did I tell Charlie about Bella's pregnancy. I didn't feel it was my story to tell; besides, if the baby didn't survive, there wouldn't be any unnecessary grief to add to our sordid tale.

"Charlie, why didn't you tell me Bella was the one who was bringing down my son? I mean, I knew it was all part of the mission and everything, but why Bella? Why would you have your own daughter bring down my son after everything the two of us have been through together?"

Charlie took both of my hands and held them in his. "Esme, I know this is hard to believe right now, but Bella's the best we've got. She's been well - trained in many situations, and quite frankly, she the smartest woman we have on the force. I know this seems like a conflict of interest, and it's hard to bring down one of your own children, but it had to be done. With that being said, I felt like she would take it easy on him; more so than if I put another agent on the job. Bella can be a softie when she wants to be, and since it's your son in question; she was the exact right person to do it."

It wasn't the right time to tell Charlie about Bella and Edward's relationship; especially when their lives were in such jeopardy.

Finally, a nurse came over to us and asked for Charlie Swan.

He sprung up quickly. "Yes, that's me. How's Bella? Is everything okay? What did the tests show?"

The nurse sat him back down while putting a calm hand on his. "Mr. Swan, your daughter is in stable condition right now. She's coming down from the drugs in her system, and she's a little dehydrated but all in all, she'll be fine."

"Oh, thank God." Charlie blew out a big sigh of relief, and I felt so happy for him. If only Edward could have a good outcome as well.

"The OB/GYN is in with her now finishing his checkup, so I don't know the status of the baby, but as soon as I hear something, I'll be sure to let you know. We're all hoping for a positive outcome though. She's a fighter!"

Charlie's face went from relief to shock in less than two seconds. "Baby? What baby?"

At that exact time, a doctor popped through the door shouting my name. I ran over to him, my heart pounding like a freight train.

"Ms. Mason?"

"Yes, Doctor. What can you tell me about my son? Did he make it?"

"Well, he's in critical condition, but we managed to stop the bleeding for now. He's lost quite a bit of blood, but we're hopeful. The next twenty-four hours are very critical. If he makes it through the night, that's a good sign. The bullet just missed his main artery but it did some damage which caused a lot of internal bleeding."

"Can I see him?"

"He's in recovery and then will be in ICU. The nurses will let you know when you'll be able to go back. It won't be for a few hours, so why don't you go home and get some rest?"

I laughed because I really didn't have a home – at least, not anymore. "Okay. Thank you so much, doctor."

I turned around to tell Charlie the news, but I didn't have to. He was standing right behind me the whole time.

"He'll make it, Esme. He has too. I have a sneaky suspicion he's got something way too important to live for now." As the last words were out of his mouth, he put my head on his shoulders, embracing me so I wouldn't collapse.

I know I keep saying the end is close, and it is. Probably a couple more chapters . . . many thanks who keep reading and sticking with me. Sorry for the longer updates – life is catching up with me. The next one will be a couple more weeks because I'm going on vacation to Hawaii! OMG, I can't wait. It's written and with my betas now so hopefully it'll be done and in my inbox when I return. If so, I'll tweak it and get it out as soon as I can.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 32 - Awakening**

BPOV

The tingling in my right hand woke me up as I realized I must have fallen asleep on it for like the fourth time tonight. This damn chair was mighty uncomfortable. Why do hospitals have the worst chairs for people to sit in? It's not like you don't pay a small fortune while you're in here. I stood up and stretched my body while looking over at Edward's body, still lying so still in that damn hospital bed.

It had been five days and still no sign of improvement. The doctors were optimistic, especially since the surgery went well, and the internal bleeding had stopped. His vitals were good, but for some reason, he hadn't come out of the coma yet. Edward had needed a blood transfusion with the great loss of blood, and who else to provide the life source but Charlie Swan. Yes, my father provided his public enemy number one with another chance at life, and I've yet to figure out why.

For the past two years, Charlie had done nothing but scope out C&M and its illegal dealings, or rather, Edward Masen and _his_ illegal dealings. As far as he knew, Edward was still the enemy, so I had no idea why he thought giving his blood was a charitable thing to do in this case. It's true that Charlie knew Edward and I had been dating, but there was no way in hell I was going to tell him I was pregnant.

That little tidbit hadn't been mentioned yet, and besides, I wanted Edward to be the first to know. Well, now I guess he had to be the second considering Esme knew. Esme suspected right off the bat I was expecting, which floored me. At the time, I was still high on those damn drugs, but I sure remember filling her in on my predicament. I still wasn't quite sure how she fit into this whole sting though. When did my father put her on the job, and why?

She certainly was a nice woman, and if I was a betting person, I'd say she and Charlie had something going. She sure did seem awfully concerned about Edward – coming in and out of the room every half an hour was a little overkill, but I didn't say anything. She said this was her first case as an agent, so I understood her concern, but the way she looked at him, fawning over him and touching him was making me a little uneasy.

I was knocked out of my daydreaming by the sound of moaning. At first, I thought I imagined I it, but when he did it again, I knew it was him. Edward's eyes fluttered opened, making my own eyes tear up.

"Edward! It's me, Bella! Can you hear me, baby?" I grabbed his hand, and put it up to my lips, kissing it as his head turned toward me.

"Bella . . ." he barely murmured while squeezing my hand.

"Yes, it's me. I'm here! Oh, I'm so glad you're back with us. There's so much I need to tell you!"

"You're o-okay?" Edward's voice seemed to be getting a little stronger.

I laughed as the tears came down harder. "Yes, I'm fine. It was a rough ride there for a little while, but I'm good. Let me call the doctor."

I buzzed the nurse on the remote, and after telling her what happened, she was there within seconds.

She checked the monitor and his vitals as I looked on intently.

"Does everything look all right?"

"Well, as far as I can see, everything looks great. I'm going to call his doctor and let him know he's woken up. He'll want to run some tests to make sure Mr. Anthony's organs are functioning properly, but at first glance, it's looking promising." The nurse walked out of the room but not without telling us she'd be back shortly to give Edward a sponge bath.

Edward responded with a groan while his hand went up to his chest.

"What's wrong? Does something hurt? I can call the nurse back in here if you need her." I stood up over him to see if there was something I could do.

"Don't. Want. Nurse. To. Give. Me. Sponge. Bath."

I giggled, relieved to see he hadn't lost his sense of humor. "If you want, I can see if she'll let me do it. Will that be good?"

He smiled, and I didn't realize how much I missed that gorgeous grin until now. "I thought – I thought I lost you forever."

I grimaced because his words hit home. "I thought the same thing. I was so worried you were never going to wake up." We stayed silent and just looked at each other, studying the other's face as if we hadn't seen it in years.

"Is there anything I can get you? Are you comfortable?"

Having just woken up after five days, he was still a little groggy which was expected. I could tell there was something he wanted to say, but I knew now was not the time to start the heavy conversation.

"You know what? I'm just going right outside to check with the nurse to see if you can start having ice chips. Would that be ok?"

He nodded, but I could tell he had a lot on his mind. "I'll be right back."

I walked out into the hall toward the nurse's station when Esme ran up to me, her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Bella! I saw the nurse go in a minute ago. Has he woken up? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, actually, everything's great. Edward finally woke up. He seems to be in good condition according to the nurse, who is telling the doctor so he can come and check on him. She says it looks optimistic!"

Esme ran her hand through her hair, ironically just like Edward does when he's stressed. "Oh, I'm so relieved. I mean, I'm so happy for the two of you. Maybe now the two of you can do some talking if you know what I mean."

Curiosity ran through me as to why she was still here. "Esme, I don't mean to be rude, but why are you still here? I appreciate the fact that you're concerned and everything, but I'm not sure why you keep hanging around. Your assignment is over; I can talk to Charlie for you, if you'd like to go home."

The look on her face spoke volumes. It was as if I had just slapped her in the face. She sighed heavily before speaking. "Bella, I really need to tell you something. I've actually waited too long probably, but I know now that it can't wait."

"What's going on? I can tell there's been something on your mind for awhile. Is it Edward? The agency's going to bring him down hard, aren't they? I knew it." I began pacing back and forth down the hall of the hospital, twisting my hands together. "What about the possibility of immunity if he tells everything he knows about his whole syndicate? Will they be lenient with him at least for giving details and turning over his business?"

Esme grabbed a hold of my frantic hands, pulling them together and in front of me. "Bella, dear, you need to listen to me. I don't know what the agency has planned for him. I really don't. This has nothing to do with the FBI – well it does, but it's not what you think."

I needed to get back with Edward. "Look, I need to go and check on him. I don't want him to think I abandoned him or anything."

Esme winced as the words came out of my mouth. "What, did I say something wrong?"

"No, actually you said everything right; it just hit a little too close to home. You go ahead. Once Edward falls back to sleep, we'll talk."

I nodded and headed on towards his room. The nurse had slipped in there behind me while I was talking to Esme, but it looked like she was just changing his IV bag. His eyes were closed, and I debated on whether or not to wake him. I had waited so long for him to wake up that I guessed another hour or so wouldn't matter. Bending down to get my purse, I pulled out my phone to let Charlie know he had woken up. I had just gotten the text sent when Edward called out.

"Baby."

"I'm right here. Do you need anything?" I inched closer to the other side of the bed, standing as near as I could so I could hear him and not bother the nurse.

"No." Edward put his arm out and his hand sprawled out against my stomach. "Baby."

A tear immediately ran down my face. There's no way Edward could know about the baby, but yet he touched his hand against my belly which had begun to form a slight bump. It wasn't that recognizable yet, but if anyone knew, they could notice.

"Um, what do you mean?" I had to hear what he knew, because I didn't know if now was a good time to talk about all of this yet.

"Is the baby okay?" he whispered in the slightest voice, but I heard him loud and clear.

I laid my hands on top of his which were still clinging to my mid-section. "How did you know?"

"Have my ways," he half laughed but grimaced afterwards. "The pain is still pretty bad."

Luckily, the nurse was still in the room, and I asked her if she could get him something for the pain. "Oh, Edward. I really wanted to tell you, but I never got the chance. There's so much we need to talk about. I'm so afraid you're really going to hate me after we do, but I know I can't put the conversation off forever."

Edward laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes. His hands went back to his side as he started to speak again. "Don't worry, Bella. I could never hate you."

I let out a small sarcastic laugh. "You might want to wait to hear me out before you decide that. We need to wait until you're stronger though. You need to build up your strength so we can get you out of here."

Edward smiled up at me. "You and I both know I'm not going home. I won't be out of anywhere for a long time."

The look on his face was pained as he blew out a big breath of air. "There's lots I have to tell you too, and if you think I'm going to hate you, wait until you hear what I have to tell you."

This was messed up. Here we both were, ready to confess our sins to each other when it should be a happy moment. Knowing we created a life together should be a momentous occasion and for us, it was overshadowed by our lies and deceit.

"You didn't answer me. Is the baby going to be okay?" Edward looked so worried, which made me believe he really was happy about this. At least I hoped that was the case.

I smiled, rubbing my hand over his and our little bump. "Can you feel her? The doctors say we're going to be fine. It was scary at first, but they believe she's growing at a normal rate, and all indications look positive."

Edward's face lit up and that beautiful smile reappeared. "We're having a daughter?"

I laughed. "I kind of let it slip, didn't I? I had to have an amniocentesis done for multiple reasons. It told the sex of the baby, so yeah, we're having a little girl."

"Wow. I hope she looks just like you. Beautiful."

I put my hand on top of his while he started nodding off. "Just sleep now. You need your rest."

My phone beeped making me realize I forgot I had texted Charlie. Pulling it out, I noticed his text.

_When you can get away, come out into the waiting room. I'm here, and there are lots we need to discuss._

Shit. I bent down and kissed Edward on the forehead before I left, but I knew he was already drifting back to sleep. I could already tell this wasn't going to be good.

Charlie was right where he said he would be, and when I approached him, he gave me a hug and sat me down. Ironically, Esme was still here as well.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Charlie could be compassionate when he wanted to be. I silently hoped now was one of those times.

"Pretty good. Well, let's get on with it shall we? I know what this is going to be about. Just give me the Reader's Digest version."

Charlie blew out a big breath, crossing his legs in the chair. "Listen, Bells, this isn't easy for any of us, so let's not be sarcastic."

"I'm not being sarcastic, just realistic. I know I broke the cardinal rule about getting involved with a suspect. It's not something I'm proud of, but it's also something that was completely unexpected. You do need to cut me some slack though; I didn't know who he was when we first met or when we were dating."

Esme just sat there, her head down while her hands fidgeted with something on her sweater. She looked guilty for some reason.

"Look, I can understand that part, but once you knew, you needed to call in reinforcements and back the hell off. Now you've really gotten yourself into a mess. I really thought you were more professional than this." Great. Charlie was playing the boss card as well as being my father. This was always the hardest part of working with him. "This isn't going to look good on your record, Bella, and I don't know if I can save you on this one. The agency has put you on administrative leave until they can do some further research, but it doesn't look good for you."

"You've got some nerve judging me after everything I've been through! I almost got killed on this assignment, and you're sitting on your almighty throne throwing out accusations. You have no idea what I've been through these past few weeks, none at all! I've been fighting to stay alive with hardly any food and water, not to mention beat up, chloroformed and drugs shot into me. If it wasn't for the–″ I stopped right there before I blurted out my pregnancy. I definitely didn't want Charlie to know that piece of information yet.

I could feel my blood pressure going up which wouldn't be good for the baby, but I just couldn't stop there. "And what about you? When were you going to let me know you had assigned another agent on the case, huh?" I turned and pointed at Esme who was still staring down at her lap. "You surely didn't follow protocol by lying to me about another agent being involved."

"I didn't lie to you, Bella. I just didn't tell you about her."

"Yeah, and why is that? What makes her so special that her very presence has to stay top secret? Where did she come from anyway?" I really didn't care about hurting her feelings right now because I very pissed off.

Charlie and Esme just looked at each other like they were keeping the biggest secret in the world. Silence filled the room as I waited for one of them to talk. Finally, Esme spoke up.

"Bella, I need to tell you something. I was going to wait and have this conversation with Edward first, but it looks like it needs to come out in the open now."

What in the hell was going on here? I felt so out of the loop when I was the lead on this assignment!

"Would somebody please let me know what the hell is going on? How do you know Edward anyway? This is getting ridiculous!"

Esme stood up and walked to stand in front of the window. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed heavily. Her profile reminded me so much of Edwards at that moment it was unreal . . . Whoa.

_It couldn't be. Could it? I thought she was dead – but that auburn colored hair . . ._

"I'm not going to make this a long, drawn out conversation. It would take hours to tell you the whole story, and in your frame of mind, you don't have the patience. Bella, I'm Edward's mother."

Shit, I knew it. "H-how can that be? He told me you were dead. He said you left a note; there was a major amount of blood in the driveway, and he's never seen you since."

"I'm not proud of what I've done, but it had to be played out this way. You have no idea how sick inside I feel, have felt, knowing I haven't been there for my son. If I had, maybe he wouldn't have taken the path he did. I was a major drug addict, Bella. There was no drug I didn't try or fight to get. Edward basically took care of me all the time; he made his own dinner, did all the shopping, cleaned me up when I was sick, washed dishes, took care of the house, everything I should have been doing, he did it all. I had no self-esteem. I just cared about finding my next fix. We went through all of our savings. Well, I did. I ciphered it all out on drugs. Edward hardly ate anything unless it was out of a box and processed. There is not a day goes by that I don't hate myself for what I did to him. I made him become what he is today. It's all my fault. He felt he had no choice but to turn to selling drugs, just to get enough money to pay our bills and get us back on our feet."

I sat back in the lobby chair listening to her pour her heart out. This was one messed up family I had gotten involved with, that's for sure.

"Edward tried to get small jobs here and there, but as soon as he put some money in the bank, I'd go and steal it all, buying more coke or heroin. As you know, those drugs aren't cheap. I guess Edward thought if you can't beat them, join them. Don't get me wrong. Not one time did I ever see him do drugs or see him strung out. He knew they were poison; he just enjoyed the money too much. When I started cleaning up my act, I met your father in the local diner."

Charlie smiled up at her, and it was then I noticed how the two of them looked at each other. The redness in his face, the sparkle in her eye. They're in love with each other! Oh, my gosh!

Esme continued on with her story. "Aro was the name of the man who was not only my boyfriend, but my supplier as well. He caught on that I had been getting sober which made him very angry. He liked me getting high because he could take advantage of me - and Edward too. He liked being in control; it was him who stole money from us as well. I never told Edward, but he probably suspected it. I had to get out of there. When I met your father, it was at one of the lowest points of my life. Yes, I was on the road to being sober, but I was terrified of Aro. He used me as a punching bag one too many times, but I felt like I deserved it by being such a lousy mother. Anyhow, Charlie agreed to help me out of my situation."

Charlie coughed, sitting up in his chair. "I'll take over from here, Esme. I was on an assignment in Florida at the time I met Esme. Your mother and I had been divorced for a few years, and you were still in high school. The agency had been keeping an eye on the drug trade down here, especially Aro and his men. It was complete fate that I met Esme in that diner because after speaking with her a few times, I discovered she was Aro's girlfriend, or rather ex-girlfriend, but he didn't know that at the time.

"I couldn't believe my luck. After many meetings, Esme decided to work with the FBI and to help us nail the bastard, basically making her an informant. It wasn't until quite a few years later she had made the move to be an agent with us. We trained her, put her through all the motions, and here she is now."

"I still don't get it. How is it that Edward thinks she's dead? He told me there was blood everywhere. Whose was it?"

Esme was shaking a little as she started speaking again. "It was Aro's. I shot and killed him. It wasn't part of the plan, but he came after me. The very same night we had planned to shake him down, he came after me. I barely had time to leave Edward that note I had written so long ago before Aro figured out I had been lying to him all this time. I escaped out the bathroom window, but not before I grabbed my gun under the bed. It's quite a blur after that."

Whoa. This was so hard to take in – and if it was so hard for me to take in, I can only imagine what Edward would do when he saw his mother.

"And you never once thought about telling Edward you were alive? What the hell, Esme? What kind of mother does that to her son?" I touched my hand to my stomach, thinking I could never do that to my child.

"One that cares a great deal about her child, that's who. I've been fighting all this time to get Edward out of this mess he's gotten himself into. What you don't know is we had enlisted your help to bring down his organization because you were the best bet we had. Your father relies on your professionalism and your ability as an agent so much that he brought you on this case to help us out."

"Wait a minute. What you're telling me is you are bringing down your own son to put him in jail? You're worse than I thought!"

"It's not what you're thinking. What you don't know is that Aro had a son. Edward was friends with him at one time which is how he got into this nasty business in the first place."

Now it was my turn to run my fingers through my hair. "Oh, my God. James is Aro's son?"

Charlie and Esme replied simultaneously. "YES!"

Charlie looked nervous as he spoke. "We had tried to track James down, but it wasn't easy. We found out he was in Washington state and applying for classes at the university. He was always on our radar, and we knew he was pushing drugs, but we'd never get anything substantial on him unless we gave him a little rope, if you know what I mean." Charlie swallowed loudly, looking over at Esme before he continued. "It was never planned, Bella, you have to know this. We had no idea he had any classes with you, let alone was giving the drugs to Lauren. I know you're never going to believe me, but you have to know this."

Holy mother of God! My father and Esme – Edward's mother, knew all along that James was a drug pusher who not only supplied my roommate with drugs, but ended up killing her! "I don't believe this! I can't believe what you're telling me! You knew all along Lauren was taking the drugs, and who was giving them to her, but you didn't do anything about it? Didn't you know I was seeing him too? Did you want me to just get killed or what? Were you both that sick you wanted to get revenge on him at all costs?" The questions wouldn't quit pouring out of me.

"It wasn't like that, Bella. Edward was in deep; we had to do something to draw him out, and with James making his mark by building up his organization, we thought we could lure him in. The good news is it worked."

I popped out of my chair like it was on fire. "Worked? Are you serious? You almost got me and Edward killed! And your grandchild! I wasn't going to tell you, but who the hell cares now? I'm pregnant. Are you happy now? How does it feel that you almost killed three people? You thought you could use us as bait for that sick fuck James and for what? We were your sacrificial lambs! How could you?" Tears were flowing, and I felt like I was going to pass out. My father used me all these years in one big scheme just to get one man. It got my best friend killed, me and my boyfriend almost killed, not to mention my unborn child being close to a miscarriage.

Charlie kept sitting there, staring at me as if nothing I just said made any kind of impact on him. He wasn't shocked at all with the fact I just told him I was pregnant, which meant one thing. He already knew.

"Bella, you have to know we had everything pretty much in control. Lauren's death was an accident. We had her monitored at all times, but we're guessing that James knew we were having her followed. Our agents were found wounded that same night she overdosed. He got to them first and obviously sold her the stuff immediately afterwards. It wasn't until you found her that we realized they hadn't checked in at their normal time. It was too late after that." Charlie rubbed his hands over his stubbled face, finally looking a little remorseful.

"If I had to do it all over again, there would be some things I would've done differently. We never want innocent people to get hurt - you know that. However, Lauren was the one taking the drugs. You really can't blame us totally for her death. As for you, Bella, you're a trained professional and have gotten out of a lot of worse situations than James' kidnapping. What I didn't know at the time was that you were pregnant. I would've pulled you from this assignment as fast as possible. It seems you weren't as forthcoming with your information either. You compromised your mission just as much as you think I sabotaged it.

"The other thing that helped fuel the fire was you. If we thought James hated Edward for taking over the business, he really freaked when he found out the two of you were dating. When we rescued you and Esme from the shack, his men told us about how deep his hatred ran once he found out you were with his mortal enemy. He was going to stop at nothing to get back at him. All I can say is thank God he didn't know you were having Edward's child."

I had heard enough. Rising out of my chair, I turned to walk down the hallway to check on Edward, but not before I looked over my shoulder at the two of them. "Speaking of God, may He forgive the two of you for what you've done."

Esme strode across the hall, approaching me, but as soon as she saw me withdraw, she stepped back. "Bella, don't you understand everything we're trying to tell you? With my help, Edward's sentence is going to be drastically reduced. Also, when he thought he was rescuing you, he wrote down all his prior criminal activity, the sources, locations, everything that he could think of to catch all the drug-related and mafia crimes going on in this area and some out of state too. He thought he was going to die that day he got shot, and he almost did. Unbeknownst to him, Edward's assistance in bringing down James got him a lighter sentence too. Everything we've done," as she spoke, she looked back at Charlie, "has been to dig Edward out of this mess. Your father has been the most kind, gracious man in planning this whole mission." She licked her dry lips while trying to search for her next words.

"There's just one more thing."

Slowly, she walked closer and cautiously took my hands in hers. "We're in love, Bella. We'd love to have your and Edward's blessing, but I understand if we don't get it. Maybe one day you'll understand why we did all of this, and believe me, once you have your baby, you'll realize the love you have for that child. You'll do anything to give them a better life – even if you have to make some serious sacrifices."

I took my hand away from hers and retreated. I looked at both of them with uncertainty; after hearing all of these revelations, I just didn't have it in me to be compassionate at the moment. Edward needed me now more than these two did, and it was where I felt I was needed the most.

A few days went by, and Edward started regaining his strength. The day after we had our talk, Esme asked me if it was okay if she finally had her moment with her son. I told her I didn't want her anywhere near him until he was strong enough to deal with the fact his dead mother had now risen from the ashes. He needed a little more time physically and emotionally to heal before I would let the two of them meet.

After two weeks, the doctors cleared him to go home. We both knew it would be short-lived as the police and lawyers had been in and out of his room the whole time he was here, advising him of either his choices or his rights. Edward had the best lawyers money could buy as he'd been in many conundrums before, but this had taken the cake. What they didn't know yet was the FBI would be giving him a pardon on some of the charges, but I wasn't the one who was going to tell him all of that. Esme would be doing the honors since she had set this whole plan in motion with my father.

We hadn't had a lot of time to spend together, but the couple of stolen moments we did spend, we had lots to share. Edward told me how he found out about me being in the FBI, which unburdened a lot of stress for me. I couldn't believe he was so understanding of my position, knowing I was the one who could nail his ass to the wall.

"How long have you known?"

"I didn't fully know until you were kidnapped and went to your apartment."

"I still don't get it."

"The picture you have on your bedroom dresser gave it away." He laughed, which made me happy. "And after seeing the picture, everything started to piece together. Your ability to kick the shit out of any man, the fluency of your Spanish, how you visited that gang member in jail . . . It finally started to click for me. I guess I could be a little dense, huh?"

"I should've been more careful. And you don't hate me? I tried to put you in jail!"

"No, Bella. You tried to put Edward Cullen in jail, not Anthony Masen. You had no idea who I was, and I realize that. Besides, I was already in love with you when I realized the truth. I also realized it didn't matter. Everything I've done in my life was my fault. Not yours. I come from a fucked up childhood which made me turn to dealing in the first place. I should've known better, but I was greedy."

I scoffed. "You did what you had to do to survive, Edward. Your mother made sure of that," I murmured the last part, but he heard me anyway.

"What did you say?" Edward slowly pushed himself up out of bed.

"Oh, nothing."

"No, what? How could you know anything about my mother? I haven't told you much about growing up except how she died."

"Edward, being in the FBI has made me privy to some inside information. I have to also tell you there's more that you don't know."

"What do you mean? Are there more charges against me I'm not aware of? I guess it doesn't matter, anyway. The rate I'm going, I'll never get to see our child grow up."

"Let's just get you home, okay? I'll share more with you when I know you're in better shape to handle it."

The next week was spent getting settled in his house. I had moved what little stuff I had into his house so I could take care of him until the trial. Once Friday came, I felt it was time for Esme to make an appearance, so I called her, making her elated and nervous at the same time. After all, it had been close to ten years since she's talked to her son.

I prepped Edward with the fact that he was having an important visitor come to visit, and I'd make myself scarce. I only told him that the person was a fellow agent and to be prepared for a lot of information to come his way on his case. We kissed each other before I left, and his hand went down to my stomach.

"Don't be gone too long, love. I'll miss the both of you."

I smiled, the love I felt for this man was so strong. I had no idea it could be this way. We had a long road ahead of us, a road which I had no idea of the twists and turns, but knowing I would be with him, I didn't care.

"We'll miss you too. I won't be far. Just know that I love you, and please be patient and understanding with the agent, okay?"

He kissed me again, pulling us closer together as the kiss got deeper. His tongue came out, caressing my bottom lip, giving me the warm, tingly feeling I'd so greatly missed. My hands went up to his head, running through his hair as his hand touched my back. He reached the bottom of my shirt, pulling it up to gently rub my back. This was heaven. I had so missed being with him intimately, and I know he was feeling the same. I pulled away, knowing if we didn't stop that I'd never get out of here.

"Babe, if we don't stop, I'll never want to leave."

"That's the idea, isn't it?" he whispered against my lips, taking in my top one and sucking it.

"The doctor said no physical activity for six weeks. You just came out of a coma and had major surgery."

"I'm not doing any physical activity; besides what if you do all the work? I can just lie there . . ."

Pulling away, I slapped his arm. "Very funny, mister! Seriously, as much as I'd love to kiss you all day, you have company coming. Please just listen to her, okay? She has a very compelling story to tell."

"Geez, Bella. You talk as if I'm meeting Mother Theresa. What's the big deal?"

"Just promise me, okay?"

"Sure, okay. Come back soon, all right?"

"I'm not going far. I just need to get some groceries and grab some last things at my condo." I placed one last kiss on his lips before I left. I only hoped he would be in this good a mood when I got back.

EPOV

Kissing Bella again was marvelous. I hadn't felt like this in . . . ever actually, which totally sucked because I'd be going to jail soon. Just when I was getting my shit together, a girlfriend who I adored and loved me back along with a baby on the way, I couldn't be happier. There was just the smallest obstacle in the way – jail. My lawyers were trying to keep me calm by telling me not to worry, but I knew better. I'd done some really bad shit in my life, and now I was going to pay for it.

Karma's a bitch. Bella seemed to be in a hurry to get out of here which made me a little nervous. This new agent who was coming over must have more bad news for me. Great. I walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator hoping I'd find a cold beer in there. Unfortunately, Bella took all of the damn bottles out of there knowing I wasn't allowed to have any. Dammit. Why did she have to be so thorough? I settled for a glass of orange juice, and after pouring it, my doorbell rung.

I walked slowly over to the door, my body still recovering after that fucker James shot me in the chest. I still couldn't believe he was dead. Of all the bad things I regret in my life, shooting him was not one of them. I chuckled to myself after taking a drink of juice and twisted the knob to the door. I opened the door to see a woman's back facing me as she seemed to be looking out over my porch, her hands in her pockets.

"Hello, you must be the agent Bella told me about." Her head was down now, and she didn't make any quick moves to turn around.

"Um, you are here to see me, right?" This was a little awkward. What was her problem?

The woman slowly turned around, her head rising up as those green eyes caught mine, and I felt my knees go weak. My juice glass dropped and crashed on the porch startling her and myself.

It couldn't be. This was some sick joke. I said the only words I could muster at the moment.

"Mom, is that you?"

**A/N: I think there will be one more chapter left. If some of you ask for an epilogue, I might write one but otherwise, I'll try to wrap it all up in the next chapter. Thanks for hanging in there with me. **


	34. Chapter 34

**Wow, this is the last full chapter. I really can't believe it. There was an overwhelming response to have an epilogue so we'll find out what's in store for these two lovebirds in the future. Many thanks to Ange, Kristen and Tiffany for being my betas throughout this whole process. I really couldn't have done it without you. **

**Without further adieu, I present to you, the last chapter of Undercover in Miami. Thanks for the ride and I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

****

**Chapter 33 – Reunion**

EPOV

I couldn't believe my eyes. After all these years of looking for her, and she just shows up on my porch. "How is this possible?"

My mother stood before me, teary eyed but smiling. "I hope you'll find it in yourself to forgive me, Edward."

The next three hours were mostly spent with her telling me what happened over the last several years. She explained why she left, why she never could tell me she was alive, and why she came back into my life now.

At any other point in my life, I'd have been furious at the fact that she kept everything from me like this. But after all I've gone through these last few months; I couldn't find it in me to be mad. I was just glad she was alive and back in my life.

"Mom, I'm guessing you know about Bella."

Her eyes lit up, and she smiled one of the biggest smiles I'd ever seen on her face. "Yes, honey. I know about Bella. Please don't be mad at the fact she knows about me. She never even knew I existed until you were in the hospital. She had no idea I was undercover, or even who I was until then." Mom seemed sincere about this, making me aware of the fact of why Bella was acting so strange when she left earlier.

"There's a couple other things I haven't shared with you. Um, I've found someone."

"As in you're dating someone? No kidding! Wow, that's . . . great. Who is the lucky guy?"

Esme started hesitating like she didn't want to tell me. I could see it was hard for her for some reason.

"Mom, just let it out. What's the big deal anyway?"

"Well, because it's Charlie." She barely muttered the name, which I couldn't hear at all.

"I'm sorry, who?"

"It's Charlie."

"WHAT? Please tell me you're kidding!"

"No, I'm not kidding. I love him, Edward. We've been through so much together, and he's helped me through thick and thin. You have no idea how hard my life has been. It's killed me to not be able to be with you. Charlie has been with me every step of the way. He knows my faults and shortcomings; but yet, he's helped me grow into a person I'm finally proud of for once."

For the first time in many, many years, I walked over to my mother and gave her a hug. My mother! I was still having a hard time believing she was standing in front of me, alive and well.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, holding each other as if we were afraid we'd be torn apart again. "I guess if you're happy with him, then I'll just have to accept that."

Esme pulled away and smiled up at me. "He really is a good man. I know the situation is pretty awkward, but he really does want to help you, son. He couldn't let on like he knew you or anything because he couldn't tip off Bella. Honey, we've been following James for some time knowing he was growing a bigger drug business, but also killing many people who got in his way."

I turned around, my hands tugging at my hair because I knew what my future held. Now that I had a girlfriend, my mother back, and a child on the way, I was going to lose everything. For once, everything in my life was perfect and right.

"So, what happens to me now? I'm assuming there will be a trial? Can you tell me what happened with Emmett?"

"I've met with Emmett, and he knows I'm alive. He's turned in evidence, Edward. Just like you left us quite a bit of information in your car that day you got shot, he's told us all he knows. Shipments, contacts, bank account information, everything about your company is being thoroughly investigated as we speak."

"I've tried to reach him, but he's not calling me back. Is he in jail? Oh, my God, Mom. I don't want to go to jail. I've just got my life back on track. This is going to get worse before it gets better, isn't it?"

Esme came behind me, putting her hand on my shoulders. "Honey, we are going to do everything we can to get you a plea deal. I'm not going to lie; you have done some pretty bad things, but I blame no one but myself for getting you into the situation you're in right now. However, I haven't fought back all these years to right those wrongs for nothing. I will have to tell you, the FBI will be confiscating a lot of your assets. Your company is one of the first places they're starting. I know you and Emmett built that from nothing, but it's a front, Edward. It will have to go."

"What about all the employees? Can't we just give them the information they need, get it back on track so my people won't lose their jobs?"

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. Tomorrow, the Feds are going in and shutting you down. That's another reason I'm here. We need to discuss the closing, and you have to fill us in on more than what you just wrote down on a napkin, dear. I know it might take awhile, so let's sit down and get cracking. The more information you can give me the better, and the sooner we get this all down, we'll start trying to get you a deal."

OOOOOOooooooooooooooooooo

"Baby, have you seen my black yoga pants?" Bella shouted from upstairs while I was finishing up some work on the computer. I put my head down into my hands, blowing out a big breath. There was no way I could let her know how stressed I was. We had anxiously been waiting for today because as of two hours from now, we'd know if we'd need to paint the baby's room pink or blue. I was secretly hoping for a girl who looked just like Bella; sweet, innocent and pure. Not that a boy wouldn't be any of those things either; I was just afraid he'd grow up and turn out to be a loser like his dad.

Discovering Esme was alive a month ago, put my life into perspective. She helped me realize I needed to really get my shit together so we can get my hearing started as soon as possible. I was relentless in getting all my research done and all my affairs in order. Between Bella, Charlie and Esme, we managed to get Emmett out on bail which proved a monumental feat. Apparently, Bella had bugged his computer at work and his house in her attempt to nail our ass. I knew she was sincerely sorry since she's only apologized like nine hundred times now, but the judge didn't feel any sorrow and stuck a five million dollar bail on his head.

It was a little bit of a struggle to rustle up the money as most of my assets were now frozen. Obviously, the Feds frowned upon the wealth I'd accumulated, stating it was no longer mine, and I had to give it back. That totally pissed me off because Emmett and I had started C & M from the ground up, and most of the money we had earned was from a lot of blood, sweat and tears. The Feds disagreed, saying that we used our car company as a front; running drugs to the borders in our cars by hiding them in hidden compartments. What assholes. Okay, so that was partly true – but much of my wealth was developed from making smart investments too – which is why I'm not totally worried because I had put enough money in accounts in the Cayman Islands to live quite comfortably for awhile.

Before I answered her, I put the finishing touches on my latest rat report. I called it that because that's exactly what it was. Compiling this list of people I used to call my friends killed me, but it was either that or have Bella raise our child alone for the next twenty years. I obviously chose the former, therefore, assembling the list to include some harmless people and some not so harmless. Irina filled the bill of those I considered the most venomous; I would've given that honor to Tanya had James not taken care of her for me. I almost wished he was alive, so I could thank him. Almost.

"You threw away the black yoga pants a couple of days ago because you said they made you look fat. I also recall you telling me you were just going to throw on a cute sundress today." How the hell could I remember all this? My brain should be fried, dwelling on all this crime and drug shit, but somehow, I still remembered every word Bella said. Damn, I was one love sick man, geesh.

I heard her footsteps before her voice which led me to shut my laptop quickly. I didn't want her to worry about anything, especially when we're on the homestretch of her pregnancy.

"Why did you let me throw away my favorite pants? You knew I loved those!" Bella was so cute when she was mad. Just looking at her every day, our baby growing inside her, made my heart swell three times its size.

"I vaguely recall you saying something like, 'I look like a huge elephant in these things!' Then you took them and threw them directly in the garbage. I didn't dare say a word for fear of you going ape shit on me."

By this time, Bella had eased her way up beside me, her still petite form but rounded belly brushing up against me. Standing on her tiptoes, she put her mouth straight next to my ear and whispered softly, "If you ever let me throw away a favorite piece of clothing again, I'll throw you out on your ass." A quick but tender kiss on my ear led me to believe she might be joking, but after living with her for a few months, I knew better than to question a hormonal pregnant woman.

I hold on to her waist, pulling her body even closer, so she couldn't run away. Cupping her blushing face in my hands, I spoke quietly. "That'd be a little hard to do, babe, since this is my house."

I lowered my hands to her bottom, rubbing up and down over the loose fabric that barely covered it. "You are planning to wear something under this dress, right?"

"I will once you run me into Macy's for a new pair of yoga pants. So, what's the latest news from Esme? Have they heard from the judge about moving the hearing up to next week?"

"They're expecting a call from him tomorrow. If all goes well, and with me turning in the states' evidence, they could have it in their hands and reviewed by end of the week. At this point, we just have to cross our fingers and pray he'll grant me leniency. I've finished up my statement which includes enough information for them to put away a few hundred people." I bent down and kissed the top of her head. This next part was something I didn't like talking about, but knew that Bella was well aware of.

Breathing out a big sigh, I carried on. "Once that happens, and they're comfortable with the information they've got, we'll go straight into witness protection." I looked down at her, raising my hand to the bottom of her chin to tilt her face up. "You know, you can back out at any time. If you're not sure about this, about us . . ."

"Don't even go there, Edward. You know I'm in this for the long haul. For better or worse. Witness protection will be better than you sitting in jail for ten years. If that's their offer, we're going to take it. Now, let's get over our pity party and get some cool pics of our little bambino, okay?"

To say I wasn't concerned about Bella being all nonchalant about my hearing, was quite the understatement. I knew she had a way of blocking out bad stuff by putting on a good front, but to hold everything in, wouldn't be good for the baby.

Awhile later, Bella and I were sitting in a busy doctor's office with lots of round bellied women. For some reason, I was a little nervous; perhaps by all the estrogen floating around me. After sitting there for close to an hour, the nurse finally called us back. Bella got situated, putting on the paper robe while I fidgeted with the gadgets on the monitor.

"Edward, stop doing that! You're going to break it, dammit, and I didn't come all the way down here just to go back home. Now sit down and behave!"

I had to laugh. "Geesh, dear. You already sound like a mother, and the baby hasn't even kicked you yet."

"Shut it, and go sit down. According to the book, that should happen in the next week or so. I just want –″

"Ms. Swan, how are you doing today?" The technician strolled through the door all business–like.

"Pretty good. Do you think we'll be able to find out the sex today?" Bella looked over at me, grabbing my hand to give it a squeeze. "We're really anxious to see what we're having!"

I smiled over at her, making her feel at ease. At least we had this little bit of excitement left to ease the stress we've been having. If I could've taken away Bella's worries for the past couple of months, I would've done anything.

"Well, let's give it a try, shall we? I'll just need to you raise up your paper gown for me. I take it this is the father?"

I put Bella's hand up to mine and gave it a quick kiss. "Yes, I'm the father."

"Hmm, you look familiar. Do I know you?"

"Uh, no, I don't believe we've met."

"Well, okay. I'm sorry. You must have one of those faces, I guess."

"I guess so."

She proceeded to rub the jelly stuff on Bella's lower stomach, then scooted the mouse looking thing over and over until we began to see something on the monitor.

"Okay, here is the baby's leg." The computer pointed an arrow to a small angled thing which barely resembled anything to me. How do they look at this stuff?

"And this movement here? That's the heart. Can you see it? And there's the head . . . let's just get it from another angle, so we might get a closer look."

A few different angles later and still no sex determination. Seems like the little bugger was keeping its legs closed. It'd better be a girl because that's what I'm going to make her do for the next thirty years at least.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. It looks like the baby just doesn't want to open up today. We could try it again later on in your pregnancy when the baby's a little bigger."

"Can't we do this again sooner than that? We don't have a lot of time here."

The tech looked over at me with a disgusted look. "Sir, sometimes babies just don't cooperate. You're going to have to get used to that as a father. Besides, we can schedule another sonogram in a couple of months."

She was pissing me off. Like I didn't know babies are fragile and unpredictable. "Yeah, I get they don't cooperate, I'm not stupid. But couldn't you move it around a little more or wait a few minutes until it decides to show us its little parts? My girlfriend here is really anxious about finding out. Today."

"Edward, really, it's okay. I don't mind." Bella tensed up, her brow furrowing, so I knew she was getting upset at me.

"Now I know where I've seen you. You've been on television quite a bit lately. Edward Masen, right? The big drug lord? No wonder you're in such a hurry. Aren't you supposed to be in jail or something?"

Hearing those words come out of a complete stranger's mouth hit me hard. How dare she get Bella all worked up? Doesn't she know that could be bad for her blood pressure?

"Listen, lady! Don't you uphold some oath saying you're not supposed to upset a patient? Besides, I'd appreciate it if you could keep your nasty comments to yourself. Let's get out of here, Bella."

The tech obviously didn't hear me because she kept at it. "Me upset the patient? That's a joke. It looks like you're doing a mighty fine job of that all by yourself."

I looked over at Bella who was squeezing her eyes shut and pursing her lips together. She rubbed her forehead back and forth repeatedly.

A sudden rush of remorse swept over my body. What kind of bastard am I?

"You know something . . . Brenda?" My eyes quickly found the name tag on her scrubs. "You're absolutely right. I have caused this woman here nothing but grief and heartache for the last few months. But you know what? I want to change all that. I want to be a better person – for her and for either our little boy or girl. She makes me want to be a better man. Before I met her, I didn't care a thing about anyone or anything except for getting ahead in life. But now that she's in my life, and we've created this tiny creature – they're all that matter to me."

Bella's hand grasped mine tightly while a tear slid down her face. Her fingers stroked over my hand, letting me know she felt the same way I did. We stared at each other for a minute until I leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips, breaking the silence. We didn't stop until Brenda coughed loudly.

She spoke apologetically. "I must've spoken out of turn. I can see that you truly care about Ms. Swan and your child, but you have to understand the picture that the media and public have pictured you as. Any normal person wouldn't get to see this side of you too often. Look, I don't have another appointment for another hour. Ms. Swan, why don't you go drink a soda and come right back? Sugar usually makes the baby a little squirmy, so hopefully we'll be able to tell then, ok?"

I stood up and shook her hand. "Thank you so much. This really means a lot to us, especially because I don't know my fate yet. This baby wasn't planned or expected, but that doesn't mean we're not excited about it. For the first time in my life, I think I've actually done something good – and right. So, if this is the last great moment we get to share together before I go away, I want it to be worthwhile, you know?"

Brenda winked at me. I think I'd won her over which was a monumental accomplishment. "The visitor's lounge is around the corner. Grab a Sprite because there's no caffeine in it. However, the sugar should be the ticket. Come back in about fifteen minutes, okay?"

Bella nodded and began to get dressed after she left. "That was quite the speech. I think you almost made Brenda cry."

"I meant every word of it."

"I know you did. And that's why I love you, Mr. Masen." Bella leaned over and kissed me on the forehead, her small hand clasping the back of my neck. I couldn't help but look down through the paper gown, her growing breasts getting bigger every day. Yeah, I'm a pervert.

She finished putting her top on over the ever expanding belly. I put my hands on it, rubbing small circles on her side. "I love the both of you so much. Even if we don't find out today, it doesn't matter to me what we'll have. As long as it's healthy, that's all I care about it. Now, let's go get that drink, shall we?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo

The sound of the hammer slamming was enough to make this whole bad situation more of a reality. I swallowed heavily once more as the bailiff spoke. "We will now hear the matter of Masen vs. the State of Florida. Everyone please rise as the Honorable Judge Simpson enters."

I stood up, looking back at Bella, giving her a small smile. How I wish she had stayed home today. I begged her to, telling her everything would be fine, and Charlie would fill her in once things were finished here today. She wouldn't hear it. We argued for the past couple of days about this, but she was so damn stubborn. Nothing I did or said would have kept her away, making me more stressed than ever. I knew there might be some things said at this hearing she shouldn't hear. There were times in my past I was quite ashamed of, and therefore, didn't think it a good idea for her to be privy to knowing.

I told her this; she didn't care. All she said was that she was an FBI agent and nothing could ever shock her. She had seen it all. That may have been the case, but this was me we were talking about, and not some random criminal.

I breathed out a big sigh and sat down as the judge ordered us to. Having her here really made me feel uneasy for many reasons. It's not that I doubted her love for me; she had made it clear she was in for the long haul – whatever that may be with me. I just knew the things that were going to be aired out in this courtroom today, and for her to have any added stress in her condition, made me bat shit crazy.

My lawyer, Peter, was one of the best in Florida, if not the whole south part of the U.S., so I had much faith in him. He had gotten me out of lots of nasty situations before which made me feel somewhat at ease. The charges against me today, however, were something quite different than we've ever encountered. The most ironic thing about all this was James' involvement. If he had never tried to take over our drug business down here, I could be thrown in jail for decades. But since he had and also left a trail of bodies while doing so, things were more in my favor. He made a big mistake by kidnapping two federal agents, one of whom was also a federal agent's daughter.

The other good news was Esme and Charlie's involvement. Without them making it look like James was behind most of the smuggling, killing and dealing, I'd have charges against me a mile long. As it was, it was a half mile, but with my cooperation and turning in names and locations, I would be getting a more lenient sentence. How lenient remained to be seen at the moment.

One thing Charlie practically begged me to do was turn in my right hand, Jasper. No way in hell would I ever do that. That man was as faithful as an old bloodhound, and without him, I'd have died thirty deaths by now. I recalled the conversation with Charlie I had two weeks ago.

"_Give him up, Masen."_

"_Hell no, Charlie. He's had my back for years. He practically died for me; he's got most of the scars to prove it. I'm not proud of my past Mr. Swan, but if there's one thing I know, its loyalty. No way will I give up Whitlock."_

"_It could be detrimental to your case. They're looking for the most influential men you had. Emmett's hearing is coming up soon. The courts wanted to string the two of you up together, but I'd talked them out of it. I don't see any other way of letting him get off scot - free."_

_I remember pacing back and forth on my patio deck. With the waves crashing in the background, it should've made me more at peace. All it did was make my blood pressure soar. All of a sudden, an epiphany hit me._

"_Eleazer."_

"_Who?"_

"_Eleazer, Tanya's uncle. Give the damn Feds his name as my right hand."_

"_Edward, you can't lie. You know he will just give them Jasper's name if you don't. Besides, don't you think the man's been through enough, losing his niece and all?"_

"_He'll agree, or I'll unload a laundry list of shit so long, he'll be on death row. That's my final offer. Eleazer will go down as my fall guy. I'll call him tomorrow, and fill him in. Jasper stays untouchable."_

That ended that discussion. Jasper Whitlock's name was never mentioned again – not in any court documents, or by Charlie Swan. The only thing I regretted, was not being able to say goodbye to one of my best buddies. Maybe someday, I'll get the chance, but as of now, I told him to stay low. There was no way in hell I wanted him to risk getting thrown in jail by being seen with me.

I was so thankful for my mother's help these past couple of months, that I don't think I could ever repay her. She and Charlie had dug up so much terrible information about James and the Octopus gang, it was incredible she had even survived as long as she had. For weeks and weeks, she sat kidnapped in that nasty old house of his, knowing at any time she could die in there. Ironically, it all paid off because it was how she got most of her damning evidence against him. She made a friend in one of James' gang members who divulged lots of detrimental intel on him, and in turn, she promised him leniency.

The man got just that and was ever so grateful to her. Now, I was wishing things would go my way as well. I had turned in hundreds of pages of evidence in hopes I could get a very light sentence. No one at the Bureau knew Esme was my mother except for Bella and Charlie. I didn't know God could be so good to give me my mother back and such a great girlfriend, not to mention a future father-in-law who hasn't shot me yet, but I'll take it!

A couple hours passed as people came and went out of the courtroom. Some for my defense, and some not. Those against me were my worst enemies; men that I had snubbed in one way or other because they never repaid me for services rendered. I had crossed paths with many lowlifes; it was something I wasn't proud of, but that was in the past.

Speaking of the past, after the lowlifes, the prosecution really started to hit below the belt because a string of women revolved through the stand as fast as they did through my bedroom. What the hell were they trying to prove? My teeth clenched together as redhead after brunette after blonde strolled in and out of the courtroom, giving some ridiculous testimonies about me being their supplier. It's true I told them where they could get their easy fix, but I surely wasn't the one giving it directly to them.

My lawyer Peter stood up. "Objection. Hearsay."

The judge replied, "I'll allow it."

Fucking great. I elbowed Peter and whispered in his ear. "That's bullshit. These bimbos are all lying. I never personally gave them any drugs. What the hell's going on here?"

Peter shushed me. "I'll take care of it later. Don't worry."

This is what I was afraid of. Of all the things this hearing would bring out, all the various women traipsing in and out was the worst. Bella knew about mostly everything in my past, but we'd never discussed my sex life to much extent. She knew I was no angel; however, I knew it had to hurt her when it was thrown right into her face like this.

I turned around and chanced a look at her. She gave me a small smile, but I knew it was just for my benefit. She was definitely hurting. Thank goodness it was finally over, and it was our turn to hear some good things for once.

Those who were on my side were my best friends and peers. Marco from the Versailles restaurant came and gave an eloquent testimony on my behalf. He mentioned how I saved his restaurant from ruin by "anonymously" donating money to rebuild it. Alice and Rosalie showed up and said what a great employer I'd been, and how C & M had been such a great place to work. They also mentioned all the charities we'd been involved in and how our company had always matched the employees' contributions. After they were finished, I glanced over at them and nodded slightly. They knew I appreciated everything they'd said.

It was finally time for the judge to go back into his chambers to review all of today's information. He called for a small recess which allowed me time to talk with my family.

Bella stood up, rubbing her stomach lightly, but I could tell her face was etched with worry. She met me halfway, and we immediately hugged each other tightly. Stroking her hair, I bent down and whispered in her ear.

"I completely understand if you're ready to bail on me. You just heard some pretty awful stuff about me, not to mention seeing all those girls traipse through here. Please know I never handed any of those girls drugs. I love you, Bella."

It was her turn to blow out a big breath as I felt her warmth against my neck. "I know you do, baby. I love you too. Let's just hope the judge agrees with us, so we can get out of here. It was good to see Alice and Rosa – whoa!"

Bella grabbed her stomach.

"What's wrong? Is it the baby?"

"It kicked! Oh, my gosh, Edward! The baby – it just moved! You have to feel this."

Bella grabbed my hand, putting it on her left side. I didn't feel anything though.

"Wait. Let me try over here. I swear I just felt it."

"It might just be indigestion. We're not supposed to feel it until next week."

"Edward, I think I know what I felt. Dammit! Why won't it move again?"

She put my hand lower this time. I was about to move it when I felt a little nudge. "Whoa! I felt that. That's incredible!" We laughed together, just staring at each other like two giggly school kids.

"I can't believe you have anything to laugh about, Masen. What the hell's so funny?" Charlie was now joining us, and if the pressure of this hearing wasn't bad enough, his presence here was worse. I knew he had helped my mother in the investigation to lessen my charges, so I had to be nice.

"Well, Grandpa Charlie, your granddaughter just made herself known to the outside world. She just kicked her mommy for the first time!"

Charlie stood there with his mouth open, but nothing came out. That was definitely a first. His eyes moved over to Bella who was just beaming. Honestly, her face was simply glowing, and I swear she never looked more beautiful.

"M-My granddaughter? You're having a little girl?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, my mother approached us. I was a little upset that she overheard Charlie say granddaughter, but it didn't matter at this point.

A squeal came out of her mouth. "I'm having a granddaughter? Oh, Edward!" Hugs went around the small circle as well as a firm handshake from Charlie. For two minutes there, I actually was in pure bliss, forgetting about the looming sentence which could take place at any time today.

Bella snuggled up to me, her head tucked neatly under my arm. "I'm sorry for putting you all through this. If I get out of here today, I promise I'll never stop making it up to all of you. Thank you for being here today, for putting up with my mood swings, but most of all, for believing in me. It really means a lot. No matter what the outcome today, please know you're the best family a person could ever have."

Bella's head was now down on my chest, her small hands clinging to my sides. I felt my shirt get a little wet from her tears which in turn, made my eyes water as well. Esme instantly hugged me again.

We stayed that way for a few minutes before we ventured out into the lobby. Peter said it might be a good idea to go and grab some lunch, so we went across the street to a local restaurant. After a somewhat quiet lunch, broken up with spurts of baby names broken out by Bella and Esme, my lawyer texted me to let us know the judge had made a decision.

"It's time." I squeezed Bella's hand, and Esme hugged me tight. Almost too tight.

"You know how I feel about your past lifestyle. However, you've proven yourself to me over these last few months that you really do have Bella and your child's best interest at heart. Whatever happens, Edward, I'll take care of the girls. We're all hoping for the best, son." Charlie patted me on the shoulders, and we all headed back to the courthouse.

Peter greeted me in the lobby as soon as we stepped through the doors. "How you feeling, Edward?"

"About as good as expected, I guess. Do you have any sense of how this may go down?"

"I'd say our chances are 50/50. I'm not going to lie to you. I've gotten you out of tougher spots before but this one takes the cake. There's a lot of evidence against you, but you have complied and given the state what they've asked for. It was brilliant of your mom and Charlie to have followed James' path of destruction. Without them, the state would've never thwarted his drug ring, therefore making yours look like a walk in the park. He was bringing in so many illegal drugs not to mention illegal immigrants, the Feds feel like they've hit the lottery. Problem is, they're so busy now taking care of the fallout, they're short of some men. You're getting your hearing now because of your inside contacts, as ironic as I know that sounds. Yours shouldn't even be on the docket for another year."

"Yeah, well I guess I'm lucky in that respect. Let's go in and get this over with, shall we?"

Judge Simpson had been rattling on for over fifteen minutes, and I still didn't have any idea which way he was leaning. For God's sakes I just wanted this over with!

". . . and I know you've turned in state's evidence. You seem to be a generous benefactor in the community, giving to many worthwhile causes and such, but I just can't get past the fact of your ties in the drug industry and to many mafia lords. I understand you have turned a lot of them in, and once the authorities go and arrest them, you will need a lot of security. Therefore, I recommend you to be sentenced to one year in a minimum security prison for white collar crimes. We will make sure no one knows your real name there in case there are planted moles, but I feel it's best you be punished for your crimes. You will be placed in the witness protection program after your sentence is served, and again, will change your name. At this time, you are allowed one person to enter the program with you. Your lawyer will be going over the specific information with you later. That's it. I wish you well, Mr. Masen, and I hope you clean up your act."

With that being said, Judge Simpson left, and the bailiff came to take me over to be booked.

Fuck. I thought for sure I'd go straight into witness protection. Now, I'm not going to see my little girl being born.

"Can I just have a second? I know I don't have long, I just want to say goodbye to my girlfriend."

"Twenty seconds, that's it."

Bella ran up to me, hugging me while sobbing into my shirt. "I'm so sorry, Edward! I really didn't think you'd have to spend any time in jail!"

"Sssshhhh. It's okay, love. It could've been much worse. Thanks goodness it's a minimum security prison, so you can visit often. I'm the one who's sorry – for everything. I don't have much time, and as much as I hate to do this here, I feel like I have to."

With everything going on in my life getting ready for this hearing, I never found the appropriate time to ever be alone with Bella. Peter and I both thought I wouldn't have any jail time, but the judge had other ideas. Thank goodness I had a spare two hours last week to go my favorite jewelry store.

I bent down on one knee, pulling the small blue box out of my jacket pocket. Taking Bella's left hand, I gently opened the case to show her the 4 carat princess cut diamond ring I purchased at Tiffany's last week.

"Oh, my God, Edward! It's beautiful!"

"Bella Swan, I love you more than life. Would you be so kind as giving me the honor of your hand in marriage? And also be willing to wait a year for me so we could spend our life together?" I chuckled a little after that last part, hoping to break the ice a little. I heard the bailiff sigh, so I had to make this quick.

"Yes, Edward! Absolutely!" Bella practically threw herself towards me, almost knocking me over in the process. "I love you so much, baby. I'd wait for you until eternity. I'll be here – and so will Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth? Um, I'm not quite sure what you mean . . .?"

Bella put my hand on her belly. "If you're okay with it, I'd like to name her Elizabeth."

I smiled as she said the name again. "I love it. And I love you."

Tilting her chin up towards me, I took her lips in mine and kissed her one last time before my freedom was to expire for a year. I knew I wouldn't be able to see our baby being born which killed me, but considering what the alternative could've been, I'd take it.

"Let's go." The bailiff took my hands behind my back, slapping the handcuffs on me. Bella's tears were still flowing and Esme, along with Charlie, all locked hands together as I was escorted out of the courthouse.

The last thing I saw was them waving goodbye and that they'd be coming to see me soon.

That, and the fact I was now an engaged man made me smile as I walked out to do my time.

**Oh. My. Gosh. My first story finally completed! I feel so freakin' great right now, it's hard to explain. There will definitely be an epilogue due to many demands. I want to thank each and everyone one of my readers for their reviews and kind words. Also, thanks to those of you who put me on their favorite story lists and author list too.**

**Ange, Kristen and Tiffany – my betas who've helped me with my comma issues lol, I really appreciate you helping me be a better writer. This was lots of fun, and I'll try my hand at another story sooner or later. I have a great title in mind; now I just have to find a story to go with it!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Stephenie Meyers owns all rights to Twilight. This one is all mine.**

Epilogue

"I think she's crowning. It's not going to be much longer. Where the hell is the damn doctor?" I was beginning to get frantic. She wasn't supposed to be due for another three weeks.

"I dunno, Daddy. What'll we do? She won't die, will she?" Elizabeth started biting her lip, a trait she took directly from her mother.

Grabbing her up, I took her outside for some fresh air. Her small arms wrapped around my neck so tight, I thought I might choke for a second.

"No, she's not going to die, honey. The doctor's going to make it here on time, and everything's going to be all right. We just have to be patient." I wished I believed that, but as much as I wanted to, I had to be realistic.

The moaning got louder from inside as we kept looking for some headlights to shine our way. So far, nothing was coming up the long driveway.

My pacing began to get frantic, and my curious daughter quickly took notice. "I think he's going to be here soon. I just know it."

My lips touched the top of her head, giving her a reassuring kiss. "You're right, Bethie. He will. Let's go back and check on her, shall we?"

We opened the door, listening as it squeaked on its hinges to another high pitched scream. Setting my little girl down, I knew time was running out, so I grabbed some supplies I had stocked in the cabinets. Rubber gloves, a big tub of water and a few towels later, I set myself down in front of her to take on the biggest task of my life. Well, one of the biggest tasks of my life. I have had a few others.

Blowing out a big sigh, I put on the gloves as fast as I could. If she was in this much pain, I guessed she and the baby might be in distress which is why I prayed the doctor was on his way. I didn't know if I could do this by myself. The other fear was having my daughter beside me to watch the whole thing.

"Listen, Bethie, why don't you stand watch by the door, and if you see a car coming up the drive, you can flag the doctor in, okay?"

"No, Daddy, I wanna stay. I can't just leave her. She needs me!"

"I need you to help me right now, and you standing over my shoulder isn't going to help. You might see some things that might make you sick. Remember last summer when you ate too many chicken nuggets at Wendy's?"

Her little eyebrows scrunched together, and her nose crinkled up. "You mean I'm gonna throw up all over the place again? I don't wanna do that!" Her tiny hands touched her tummy.

"Well then, go stand by the door, and tell Dr. McClain to run in here as soon as he arrives, okay?"

Elizabeth stomped her foot on the ground. "Ugh, okay!"

She was lying down in front of me, almost ready to give up. "C'mon baby! Don't you pass out on me now. We can do this!"

I reached my hands up inside her pelvis, feeling for the head. Much to my disappointment, all I felt were legs. My heart felt like it just dove down into my stomach. This was not good. I knew time was running out, so I did the only thing I could.

"Daddy! Daddy! I see lights coming!"

"That's great, honey. As soon as the doctor gets out, make sure he has his bag with him!"

With my hand still up in her, I tried to make sure the legs were in the birth canal and not hung up on the pubic bone. I didn't want to break anything unnecessarily. Suddenly, I felt it tilt and the head was in view. I massaged both sides of the face, maneuvering it into position just as old Doc McClain jogged up.

"Tony, what have we got going on here? You're not trying to birth this thing by yourself, are you?" Doc was gloving up, putting on this head contraption thing with a light just as I pulled my arms out.

"Well, what choice did I have? You took long enough to get here. Things were getting a little hectic. I couldn't take the high pitched screaming anymore, and the water broke two hours ago. It went right downhill after that."

The doctor was silent as he went to work. "She looks exhausted. How long has she been in labor?"

"It's been about fourteen hours now, I guess. We couldn't get any stupid cell reception out here, and it only started working a couple hours ago. I guess it's due to the earlier storm."

Ten minutes went by, and Doc was still working. I knew something wasn't right by the look on his face.

"Tony, make a couple of those towels wet for me. I'll still need a few dry ones too. It might be best if you go stand next to the door by Elizabeth. She shouldn't be watching any of this."

After soaking a couple towels, I drudged over towards the door. My hands ran through my hair as I could still hear the moaning, but no little squeals yet.

This was nerve wracking as hell. Bethie and I paced back and forth until we finally heard it.

A high pitched squeal sounded as the doctor started slamming down his tools in the tub of water.

"I got him, Tony! A little help, please!"

I immediately ran over to assist the Doc. "Is he okay? Will he be able to walk because I had to adjust his legs to fit in the birth canal. I hope I didn't break anything. I don't know what I'd do if he'd never be able to walk."

About that time, Elizabeth runs in the room. "What did we have, Daddy? Is it a girl or a boy?"

"We have a little boy, Bethie!"

"What? It was supposed to be a girl. Mommy said so. I was gonna name her Bessie."

I patted her on the head. "Well, squirt, I don't think Bessie will be appropriate now. Maybe you and Mommy can decide on another name. By the way, where the heck is she?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

"Ooh, right there, baby. That feels good. No, just a little further down. A little to the right . . . now up just a tad."

"Edward, I'm afraid I'm going to hurt you. Shouldn't I get off now?"

"No, it feels too good. And you're just the right size. Can you hit it a little higher?" I moved my arms apart a little more so Bella could get more room. As I moved, I heard little footsteps trudging down the hallway.

"Hey, Mommy . . . what are you doing to Daddy?"

Bella turned her head around, flipping her ponytail in the process. "Your daddy's sore from birthing a calf all night long, so I get the glorious chore of walking on his back."

"But you're going to hurt him. Daddy worked hard to bring Jesse into this world. You'd better be nice to him."

Bella and I both giggled at our daughter. She was only five years old, but she was a bright little thing. I spent as much time with her as I could – especially since I missed the first year of her life. Granted, jail wasn't as bad as some criminals have it. I got to see Bella every weekend and with my good behavior, we got a few conjugal visits. Those were a little difficult as her pregnancy progressed, but I had no complaints. She was horny as hell; especially with all those raging hormones soaring through her body. It probably helped that we got to spend so little time with each other too that we couldn't keep our hands off each other.

When she didn't show up for her regular visit one weekend, I knew something wasn't right. Come to find out, Esme called to let me know she had gone into labor that morning. It broke my heart to not be there for the birth of my baby, so I swore if the situation ever rose again, wild horses wouldn't keep me away. Or in this case, cows.

Cattle. Horses. Who would've thought I would end up at a dude ranch in Wyoming? I knew absolutely nothing about cattle or animals in general. However, once we were all put in the Witness Protection Program, this is where they decided to put us. We thought it was quite hysterical at first, with both Bella and me very unaccustomed to being out in the wilderness. Hell, I was from Florida surrounded by beaches all my life!

What we quickly found out was that we actually enjoyed being outdoors. It was quite a struggle at first learning how to round up cattle as a dude ranch wrangler. Bella fell in love with wrangling the horses for the kids, and Elizabeth has already learned to be an expert rider. She's already told us she wants to be an equestrian someday and be in the Olympics.

The Hideout Lodge was now our home here in Shell Valley, Wyoming. It was hard to believe, but we had settled into a small community at the foot of Big Horn Mountain. It was beautiful country out here. The atmosphere was a big cry from Miami. There definitely weren't dude ranches anywhere in that neck of the woods. With over 300,000 acres of riding terrain, the ranch offered fly fishing, mountain biking and hiking, trapshooting, overnight stays as well as the beautiful horses to ride.

Last night, there was a big festival to start off the local rodeo which most of the employees were attending. Because of that, I was the only one around to help birth the calf who decided to make an early appearance in this world. Cell phone coverage was not that great, so Bella had stayed back up at the main house to try and call the doc while Bethie and I stayed with the momma cow. After gathering up the cattle yesterday, helping out Bobby with the fly fishing tour, and the newborn calf, my back was beyond sore.

Bella wasn't too happy when I asked her to take off her shoes and walk on it for me because she thought she was going to hurt it worse. As light as she was, it felt great for her to pinch her toes in the tender areas as she gently put her feet down on the specific spots I targeted out for her.

"So, you changed the name from Bessie to Jesse, huh?" I let out a small groan as Bella hit a sore muscle.

"Yeah. It's as close as I could get to the one I liked." Elizabeth sat down on the floor next to me, her short legs crossing in front of her.

"Baby, can you grab the heating pad out of the guest bedroom closet for your father? He's going to need it when I'm done." She stepped down from my back, and I instantly felt the loss of connection.

Reaching over to her legs, I pulled down on her body, yanking her on top of me.

She let out a short scream before falling down on me. "What the hell, Edward!"

"Sssshhhh. Someone will hear you call me that. It's Tony, remember?"

Bella nuzzled her nose inside my neck, placing small kisses there which she knew drove me insane.

"Don't start something unless you plan on finishing it, _Marie_," I replied, tossing her over on her side making her squeal again.

It was official; we were now Tony and Marie. At least I was used to calling her Marie. The agency gave us our new names before we were admitted into the Witness Protection Program which were our middle names, or derivatives thereof, but none of our enemies knew that. The funny thing is even Elizabeth knew us by these names. We couldn't even let her know our real names; at least not yet. Bella and I decided we would tell her one day when she understood and wouldn't blab it to our new friends we've made here.

We laid there, tickling each other for a couple minutes until our jealous daughter skipped back into the room.

"Hey, you guys are playing without me. That's not fair!" Our little girl ran and jumped on top of us, continuing with our tickling ministrations until we made her cry uncle.

As we were laughing and having a good time, we heard a small knock at the bedroom door.

"May we come in?" It was a woman's voice, one that I was quite familiar with these days.

"Hey, Mom. Come on in!"

"Nana! How was the Gran Cannon?" Elizabeth still had a slight speech impediment which had concerned me when she started talking. Our pediatrician assured me it would pass in time. She was still quite young yet.

Esme picked her up, swinging her around in circles until the giggles finally died down. "_The Grand Canyon"_ was fantastic, Lizzy! Did you miss us?"

"Yes silly. What's Papa doing? Did he come back with you?"

Esme sat down on the bed with Bethie in her lap. Poor girl got called so many nicknames it was pitiful. She was definitely going to have a complex when she got older. "Of course he did. Did you think I'd just leave him in the canyon somewhere?" Esme laughed while running her fingers through my daughter's hair. Sometimes it could get quite unruly.

Esme's new name was Brenda. She chose it herself because she said she always loved that name as a little girl. We just stuck with Nana as it was a hell of a lot easier to keep straight.

"I dunno. Did he get lost in the cannons?"

"It's canyon, honey. And no, Papa's not lost. He's checking on the new little calf I heard daddy helped deliver."

"It was so neat, Nana! Daddy had his hands all the way up in the cow's –"

"THAT'S enough, Elizabeth!" Bella slapped her hands over our daughter's mouth before whatever word was started to come out of it.

About that time, Charlie walked through the door, also known as Papa George. At least that's what little Bethie called him.

"How's my little granddaughter?" Charlie leaned down, holding out his arms as Elizabeth took off like a shot. She was definitely Grandpa's little girl.

"Papa! I missed you! Nana says you got lost in the cannon. Did you ride donkeys down there? Momma says people ride donkeys down little paths and stuff. Were there other animals there too? Was it hot? Did the donkeys get thirsty? We had a baby calf borned and Daddy helped deliver it. Did you see it? His name is Jesse. Did you bring me anything back?"

Charlie laughed as he scooped up my daughter. "Good lord, child! Let me get a word in edgewise!"

I was still lying on the floor holding on to my wife. It was times like this I really cherished. I'll admit I was really apprehensive about this whole protection program, making my qualms quite known. However, seeing how excited my daughter was about the animals and how easy we all have settled into the ranch life, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I couldn't believe Charlie retired from the FBI, and Esme quit as well. I should've seen it coming. When I was doing my time in jail, mom would visit me and couldn't quit gushing about him. After my sentence was over, it was then that I found out they planned to join the program with us. By this time, Elizabeth was six months old, and they just couldn't bear to be separated from her. They had practically raised her with Bella as I wasn't there to help in the early months. Something I vowed wouldn't happen again if we decided on more children.

"Why don't you go downstairs and grab the gift bag by the dining room table? There might be something in there for you."

"Really? Thanks, Papa!" She took off downstairs looking for her prizes.

Charlie sighed as he plopped himself in the corner chair. He looked like he had something on his mind, and since I've worked closely with him these last few years, I could tell when something was troubling him.

Bella could as well because she beat me to the punch.

"What's up, Charlie?" She whispered, not wanting Elizabeth to hear her call him by his real name.

"What makes you think something is up?"

Bella rose up, sitting with her back toward me. "Cmon, Dad. This is me you're talking to. Not only am I your daughter, but I was an FBI agent once too, remember? What's going on?"

Charlie glanced over at Esme before he spoke up. She nodded slowly, giving them go ahead to speak with us.

"Well, we didn't exactly go on a vacation to the Grand Canyon, like we told you. We went to Quantico."

"Quantico? Why?" I chimed in this time, because I was shocked as hell.

"Well, rumor had it that some of your old buddies were coming out of the woodwork and starting up your previous business. They even went as far as to use a few of your contacts. Seems like we left a few untied strings."

"You're kidding. Did you find out which dickhead it is?" It had been four years since I'd left Florida. I certainly had no desire to go back there. "And why are they bringing you out of the witness protection program for interrogation?"

Charlie got up to shut the door. The look on his face spoke volumes. "Are you ready for this one? That dickhead, as you so eloquently put it, is a woman. Quite a pissed off woman at that."

Many names started running through my head. A woman? Who could that be?

Bella chimed in exclaiming, "Don't tell even tell me Tanya is actually alive!"

Esme edged in closer to join the conversation. "No, she's quite dead. It's Maria Franchetti. Ring a bell, Edward?"

Holy shit. The Franchetti's. Sonny's little sister and biggest supporter was coming to the surface. "Whoa. I can honestly say I never saw that one coming. She was only a teenager when I met her last; fresh out of high school. How could she possibly gain the experience and intel that quickly? She can't even be legal drinking age yet."

"She's actually twenty-three years old, Edward. Ever since her favorite brother, Sonny, was fished out of the lake that day, she's only had revenge on her mind. It seems she thought you might have something to do with her brother's death, and she wanted to exact revenge on you. She did know you entered the witness protection program somehow. I guess since you fell off the face of the earth after your sentence, she suspected as such. That girl is hell-bent on revenge, I can tell you that much." Charlie brushed his moustache with his fingers, smoothing it out.

"She knew exactly who to call too. Carlos, Mickey, Tommy . . . they all have been contacted by her and the Franchetti family. She's rounding up all your best people you surrounded yourself with in hopes they will be willing to set up shop with her." Esme sat on the corner of the bed looking us directly in the eyes.

"Edward, she's rounding up the troops for a reason. She knows it was James that killed her brother, however, in her psychotic mind, she totally blames you. According to her, her brother would never be dead if it wasn't for your feud with James and his gang. I'm not going to beat around the bush here. She wants you dead – meaning as dead as her brother is."

This sparked Bella to have a very concerned look on her face. "Well, what are you two doing about it? Is that what the meeting was all about? Why didn't you tell us about this before you left?"

Esme put her hands on Bella's. "Calm down, Bella. The FBI is doing all they can. They actually have an informant on the inside and are filled in on everything that's going down. Maria has no idea where you and Edward are located. We've made sure of that. She's a very determined young lady though, and since she's been gathering up Edward's old buddies, she is hoping to track you down no matter what. We're one step ahead of her though."

At this point, Bella stood up and paced the length of the room. "I don't give a shit if you and the FBI think you've got everything covered. It sounds like she's not going to give up until she finds us. What then? What about Elizabeth? We've got a family now, and this is completely unacceptable!"

Charlie rose up this time. "Calm down, Bells. Everything is going to be fine. As Esme said, we've got an informant who's always a step ahead of everything. It's a trusted source, and Maria believes they're legit. No one will harm Elizabeth. You know we would never let that happen."

Bella's hand ran threw her hair as she chewed on the thumbnail of her other hand. "I don't like this. I don't like it one bit. We've developed a life here. Elizabeth is starting school in the fall, and I don't want to uproot her now that we are anonymous and she's making friends."

I never realized until that moment how stress free our lives had been. If I thought bringing a new calf into this world was stressful, then I'd totally forgotten what it was like to run a multi - million dollar company, not to mention a big drug business. Man, the things I've taken for granted lately . . .

Standing, I walked over to Bella and put my arms around her, comforting as best I could knowing the new information that Charlie and Esme enlightened us with.

"It's okay, babe. Everything is going to be fine."

"The FBI would never have called in Charlie and Esme if everything was fine, Edward. I know how they operate. I'm not stupid. She's a serious threat that needs to be stopped." Bella looked over at Charlie.

Charlie returned a look that made me suddenly suspicious. "Oh, no. Don't even think about it. I won't allow it."

Esme's eyebrows shot up as I spoke. She was soon aware of what the two of them were planning as I was.

"Charlie?"

"Bella?"

Just then, the door busted open, and Elizabeth galloped into the room on a brand new stick pony, compliments of her grandparents.

"Look, Mommy! Nana and Papa got me a new horsey. Isn't he beautiful? Daddy, what should I name him?"

The four of us were quickly brought out of our haze and now listening intently to the little five - year - old who commanded the attention of the room.

"Bethie, he's handsome! I have an idea. Why don't you go down into the kitchen and get him some water. He's probably thirsty from all the travelling. While you're gone, we'll think of a name for him, okay?"

"Great idea, Daddy!" She skipped out of the room, and I quickly shut the door behind her.

"There's no way you're going back to Miami, Bella. You can just nip that thought in your head right now."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The clock struck midnight, and our grandfather clock, which sat in the corner of our cabin, chimed its strong melody.

I was rocking Elizabeth while holding one hand over her exposed ear. Her head was lying against my chest as I cursed inwardly the loudness of that damned thing. Bella loved it though, so it wasn't going anywhere.

"How's she doing?" Esme walked quietly into the living room, wrapped in her fuzzy blue robe as I resumed rocking.

"Better. I think that nightmare really did a number on her," I whispered while stroking my daughter's hair, wrapping a small piece of it behind her ear.

Esme took a seat on the couch near me. "You know, that's the third one this week. She misses her mother."

I chuckled softly. "Oh, I'm well aware. I miss her too."

A few minutes of silence passed between us. Finally, I spoke up. "What's your take on this situation? I know Bella and Charlie are well-skilled and are highly trained agents, but is it normal not to call us for five days straight?"

Esme put her head back on the couch and stretched out her legs on the ottoman. She seemed to be in deep thought until she finally opened her mouth to speak. I was beginning to worry.

"Actually, they have called. I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily. They're fine, it's nothing like that. It's just that there's a small glitch, and now it's going to take them a little longer to wrap things up there."

"And when were you going to tell me this?" I felt my voice raise as well my blood pressure. "And how small is this glitch?"

Esme seemed to choose her thoughts carefully. "Tomorrow, probably. Bella swore me to secrecy to let you know things were fine, but I see the toll it's taking on our baby here. Edward, they might not be home for a few more weeks."

"What the hell? A few more weeks? What am I supposed to tell Elizabeth?" Just then, she stirred in my lap, mumbling her mother's name in her sleep. "Just what is going on in Florida exactly? I'm done with the guessing games!"

Esme played with the end of her robe tie, which led me to believe it was a complicated story.

"Just spit it out, Mom."

"Maria decided it was time to up the stakes in her little takeover. She infiltrated all the Florida territory, and is now headed west."

"West. How far west?"

"Colorado." Her eyes looked over at me, expecting the reaction she was going to get.

"Fuck! She's on her way here. She knows where we are and is headed straight for us!"

Obviously, I was a little too loud because this time Elizabeth woke up.

"Daddy, why are you swearing?"

I rubbed my hands over my daughter's head, trying to calm her down and back to sleep. "I'm sorry, baby. Daddy just got a little carried away. I'll put a quarter in the swear jar tomorrow. Now go back to sleep, okay?"

This seemed to settle her down a bit, and she laid her head back down over my shoulder.

The clock chimed on the half hour as I grunted after the annoying sound.

"Edward, this is precisely why Charlie and Bella are out there trying to head her off at the pass. They're waiting for her at the state border. Word has it she should be there any day."

"Cut the shit, Esme, and give it to me straight. Who's the mole?"

"Edward, you know I can't tell you that."

"Mom, that's ridiculous. Don't you think under the circumstances you can make an exception?"

"No, I don't. Now go put the little one to bed."

XXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx

Another week went by. Elizabeth's nightmares still occurred, but it got a little easier to calm her down at night. I only talked with Bella once for less than two minutes. There wasn't much she could tell me except she would be home by next weekend. I told her I wouldn't hold my breath.

She did talk to Bethie to try to reassure her she'd be home soon. I hoped to hell it worked because the nights were getting longer, and the more disrupted sleep I got, the more stressed out I became.

Around nine o'clock on Friday, I had settled into bed and turned on the television. It was early, but my legs ached from wrangling the cattle today, and I was glad for the distraction. It was good to keep my mind off the matters at hand. Flipping through the channels, I decided upon some silly reality show about a bunch of bachelors vying for the attention of one woman. I mean, this show has been on for how many years and only one couple has ever gotten married, so why do they keep taping this crap?

In the second hour of the show and after Emily declined the honeymoon suite, I thought I heard a strange noise. I turned off the TV along with the small lamp on my nightstand and quietly walked to the window. Standing at the corner windowsill, I barely pulled back the curtains to take a look. It wasn't uncommon to hear strange noises out here with all the cattle and horses, but the noise sounded like a scratching at the front of the house.

I bent down at the foot of the bed and grabbed my .38 special that was mounted in the holster on the inside footboard. Bella wasn't aware of it, as far as I knew, and I only kept it there in case of emergencies. Actually, I kept quite a few of these around the house in secretive places. Hell, she probably has found a few of them already.

Anyhow, with the gun in my hand and the safety off, I ventured down the stairs softly, staying as close to the wall as I could get. The sound was louder now, and it wasn't just scratching noises, but muffled voices as well.

Peering out of the corner of living room window this time, I peeked out and saw a person coming down the driveway. Two people were out on the wraparound porch, one lying down and the other one tending to them. Right away, I noticed Bella leaning over someone. Tucking my gun in the back of my pants, I ran out the front door.

"Bella! What's going on?"

"Oh, Edward! It's Rosalie! Can you help me lift her up? She's shot in the right shoulder. I can't lift her because I've twisted my ankle!"

"What the hell is Rosalie doing here? And why is she shot? Where's Charlie?"

I bent down and put one of my arms under Rose's legs and the other behind her back, carrying her up and into the house. She was half out of it and incoherent, making me think she lost quite a bit of blood.

Bella grabbed onto the railing, pulling herself up and hopping through the front doorway on her good foot. "I'll tell you everything. Right now, we need to call Doc McClain to get the bullet out of Rose."

"You want a vet to look at her? Why not call a real doctor?"

"No time, and I trust him. Just call him, please."

I laid Rose down on our couch and reached for the cell phone on the counter. I dialed up the doc who said he'd be here in ten minutes.

"Was that Charlie out there? What's he doing?"

I looked over at Bella, and for the first time, I could see her face in the light. She was covered in grass stains and dirt, making her look like she'd been living on the streets for awhile. It didn't matter to me because I still walked over to her and gave her a kiss.

"He's coming. He's talking on his phone to headquarters. How's Elizabeth?"

"She's fine. God, I missed you! I'm so glad you're home . . . and alive. It's been the worst few weeks of my life. What the hell happened?"

"I'll give you the Reader's Digest version. Maria made it to the Wyoming border like we thought she would. Charlie and I followed them until they made a pit stop for gas right outside of Cheyenne. Since it was the middle of the night, there weren't a lot of people around, thank goodness. A scuffle ensued, shots were fired, and here we are."

"And Rosalie? How does she fit into all this?" I walked into the kitchen at this point, looking for a wet washrag so Bella could wash up a bit. I also went over to the medicine cabinet for some peroxide and bandages.

"Well, Rose is our informant."

I stopped dead in my tracks. "She's your what?"

"I know you're going to be pissed at me, but hear me out. Believe it or not, she's with ICE."

"She's an Immigration agent?"

"I know, right? I couldn't believe it either. She was undercover the whole time too. Apparently, Charlie knew it because they've been in communication ever since I came on board at C&M. Not only had the Franchetti's been smuggling in drugs, it seems they've been smuggling in people too."

Headlights appeared in the long driveway alerting us to the doc's arrival. I grabbed a big bowl from the cabinet because I knew Doc was going to need it if he was to get that bullet out. God knows I've had a few removed from my body on occasion.

Rosalie began to moan, letting us know she was coming around. Bella went to get up from the chair until I pushed her back down.

"I'll take it from here, dear. I think you've had enough excitement for awhile. How's your ankle doing? Let me take a look at it."

"It'll be all right."

"Let me be the judge of that, please." I raised her pant leg up and noticed how swollen it was immediately. Black and blue marks had already started forming around it too.

"Holy cow! You really did a number on that. It could be broken."

"It's fine. I want to go and see our daughter. Can you take over from here? I need a hot bath and some hugs!"

I bent down and put my hand under her chin. "I missed you, babe. You don't even know how glad I am you're home."

"Oh, I believe I do. You know, I told Charlie this was my last mission, no matter what."

"You did? Would you swear to that under oath?" I grinned, feeling all warm inside just by hearing those words.

"You betcha. I realized that I have too much to live for, and my family comes first. You and Elizabeth were all I thought about the whole time. Besides, I have other plans with what I want to do in my spare time."

I ran my hands through her hair, pulling out a dead leaf. She looked atrocious but I didn't care one bit. She was beautiful, and I had missed the hell out of her.

"And what would that be? Making sweet love to your husband every day?"

Bella laughed despite the pain I knew she was in. "Well, I thought we could work on giving Elizabeth a little Bessie after all."

"You want to birth the next calf, is that it?"

Bella hit me on the shoulder playfully. "No, silly! I think it's time to give her that little sister she's been wanting. What do you think?"

I picked up my wife and spun her around, careful to not hurt her ankle. I kissed her roughly while tugging at her hair. When I came up for air, I whispered to her. "What if it's another Jesse? Do you think she'll want to give it back?"

"Probably. But I think she'll get used to him."

The doc knocked at the door, so I sat Bella down on the table. "We'll continue this conversation later in the bedroom."

She smiled and gave me a chaste kiss on the mouth. "I'm counting on it."

Bella managed to hobble upstairs while I let in the doc. He worked on Rose, and I assisted him in getting the bullet out.

In the past month and a half, I had birthed a calf and helped in a minor surgery. I had started to think I'd found my new career. It definitely would be a safer job than what we were used to and more noble.

Tomorrow was a new day. My wife was home, we were safe now, and we had just decided to expand our family.

And for the first time in my life, I couldn't wait to see what our future held.


End file.
